Lucknow, Apr 10 (PTI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday asked the Centre to reconsider the provisions in the new Waqf law and suspend it for the time being.

Mayawati noted that the recently passed Act's provision of including non-Muslims in the Waqf Board prima facie does not appear good.

"The provision allowing a non-Muslim to be a part of the State Waqf Board appears to be wrong and the Muslim community is also raising objections to it. It would be better if the central government reconsidered and suspended the Waqf Act to reform other similar controversial provisions," Mayawati told select news agencies in Lucknow on Thursday.

Parliament approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on April 4 after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the contentious legislation following an over 13-hour debate.

The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on April 3, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it. President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Bill on April 5.

Mayawati further said like the long-standing demand of Buddhist monks and followers for the sole control over the management of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, the Muslim community too has raised genuine concerns about external interference in their religious matters.

"The BSP demands that the Centre immediately halt the implementation of the Waqf Act and address the concerns through necessary amendments. Just as Buddhists have protested the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act of 1949 -- enacted during the Congress era -- Muslims are also justified in opposing unnecessary interference in their religious affairs," she said.

Referring to the 1949 Bodh Gaya Temple Act, Mayawati pointed out that it allows for a management committee comprising four Hindus and four Buddhists, chaired by the district magistrate.

"This very structure is discriminatory and inappropriate, and a violation of the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution," she said.

"The Mahabodhi temple is a revered pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the world. Its management and religious duties should rest solely with Buddhist monks and followers. Government interference has led to tension and dissatisfaction among the Buddhist community," Mayawati added.

Drawing parallels, she said religious autonomy and management should lie with those who follow the faith.

"Whether it's the Waqf Board or the Bodh Gaya Temple, government interference, especially by members of other religions, creates avoidable disputes. The government must ensure that religious institutions are managed by those who practice the faith," she asserted.

Mayawati appealed to the NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar to amend the Bodh Gaya Temple Act in accordance with constitutional secularism and the long-standing demands of the Buddhist community.

She reiterated the BSP's position that all religious communities should be given the autonomy to manage their religious institutions.

"Governments must shed political motives and act strictly according to the Constitution when dealing with religious issues. It is in the best interest of the nation," she said.