Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday demanded that Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur resign if he cannot prove his “wild” allegations of land grabbing – made against the Congress chief during a heated debate on the 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill a day earlier.

During the discussion on the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Thakur accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of exploiting waqf properties, meant for the welfare of the Muslim community, to build a political empire, India Today reported. He also claimed that Kharge had grabbed land in Karnataka, PTI reported.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill after midnight on Thursday, following a 12-hour debate. The Bill seeks to curb the authority of waqf boards and allow greater government control over them.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Kharge called Thakur’s allegations of land grabbing “baseless and false”.

“My life has always been an open book, full of struggles and battles, but I have always upheld the highest values in public life,” Kharge said. “After almost 60 years in politics, I don’t deserve this.”

He added that the allegations had damaged his reputation.

“As a leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and as the Congress President, I am forced to stand up today and condemn Shri Anurag Thakur’s wild allegations,” he said. “I expect an apology from the Leader of the House, as this is the least the ruling party can and must do.”

He added: “If Shri Thakur cannot prove his allegations, he has no right to be in the Parliament and should resign. And, if his allegations are proven, I will resign.”

Opposition members walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Kharge’s speech, PTI reported.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill with 288 votes in favour and 232 against it. The Bill needs to be cleared by the Rajya Sabha before it receives the president’s assent.

A waqf is a property dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause under Islamic law. In India, waqfs are governed under the 1995 Waqf Act. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity that is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property. The Act was last amended in 2013.

The 2024 Bill proposes to amend 44 sections of the Waqf Act. The amendments propose to allow waqf boards to be controlled by the government to a greater degree, allow non-Muslims to be members of the boards, restrict the donation of properties and change how waqf tribunals function.

Also read: With the Waqf Bill, the state brings a legal bulldozer to minority rights