Indian WAQF bill: Petition filed before SC challenging amendment

Amanatullah Khan, a member of the Legislative Assembly from the Aam Aadmi Party, yesterday moved to the Supreme Court to challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament in India recently.

In his petition, the Delhi Waqf Board chairman stated that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, curtails the religious and cultural autonomy of the Muslims, enables arbitrary executive interference, and undermines minority rights to manage their religious and charitable institutions, reports The Statesman.

Khan, who is accused of alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Delhi Waqf Board between 2016 and 2021, had earlier claimed that the government brought the bill to capture 123 waqf properties located in prime locations.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah said 123 Waqf properties are in prime location. They want to capture these properties. They will capture those land which are not under Waqf in revenue records… Do they plan to seize these properties, just as they did with the graveyard at Mata Sundri Road and the buildings behind Lal Masjid? If a property is not recorded as Waqf in the revenue records, the government will claim it as its own," Khan had said.

The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha after a marathon debate that lasted over 29 hours combined. In both the houses, the opposition vehemently opposed the bill, alleging it was an attempt by the BJP-led government to keep the society in a state of permanent polarisation.

However, the government defended the bill, saying it was necessary as there were several anomalies in the 1995 Act.

Shah, while speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate, also accused the opposition of spreading misinformation regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill among Muslims.

There are around two dozen Waqf boards across India, owning some 9,00,000 acres (365,00 hectares), a multi-billion-dollar property empire that makes them one of the biggest landholders alongside the railways and the defence forces.

The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.

ISLAMIST ORGS IN BANGLADESH PROTEST

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan, and Hefajat-e-Islam in Bangladesh have strongly protested the passing of the controversial bill.

In separate statements, the three Islamist organisations said Narendra Modi-led Indian government has been taking one controversial step after another targeting minority Muslims. As part of this, the highly controversial Waqf Amendment Bill has paved the way for state takeover of Muslim-endowed religious institutions, including mosques, madrasas, and orphanages.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar in a statement said yesterday, "The anti-Muslim Waqf Amendment Bill and the BJP government's ongoing anti-Muslim policies are a matter of serious concern. The controversial bill passed in the Indian Lok Sabha on April 3 is yet another heinous example of the Modi government's calculated efforts to strip Muslims of their religious freedom, ownership, and rights."

Through this law, government intervention and takeover of Muslim-endowed religious properties such as mosques, madrasas, graveyards, and shelters has been enabled, he added.

He further stated that under the amendment, inclusion of two non-Muslim members in both the Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council has been made mandatory, which significantly weakens the authority of the boards and poses serious concerns for Muslims.

"This move opens the door to blatant interference in Muslim religious institutions. We believe this bill was passed with a politically malicious intent."

"We urge the BJP government of India to refrain from these anti-Muslim activities and take effective and comprehensive measures to ensure the safety, property, and all interests of Indian Muslims," the Jamaat leader said.

Hefajat Ameer Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Sajedur Rahman in a statement on Friday slammed the Modi government for targeting minority Muslims and strongly condemned the passing of the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill.

Sheikh Fazle Bari Masud, joint secretary general of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, in a statement on Friday termed the recently passed Waqf Bill in India a gross violation of human rights.

"The BJP government passed this bill to directly interfere in Muslim property. It goes against the fundamental principles of the Indian constitution and is a clear injustice to Muslims, undermining the so-called secularism of the state."

He said the Modi government wants to establish control over Muslim property under the pretext of reform.

"Despite widespread opposition, the BJP government has passed the bill to incite further communal unrest and facilitate the killing of Muslims. The bill must be repealed without delay."