The Supreme Court will hear multiple petitions on April 16 challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, with opposition leaders and religious bodies claiming it infringes on minority rights
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The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear a series of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on 16 April. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Vishwanathan, will preside over the matter.
According to ANI, the case has been listed as item number 13 in the daily causelist uploaded on the Supreme Court's official website. The Central Government, anticipating potential adverse orders, has filed a caveat application, requesting that no decision be passed without hearing its side.
A caveat is a formal legal step taken to ensure the petitioner is heard before any interim relief is granted against them. As per ANI reports, the government seeks to assert its stand on the matter, which has drawn significant opposition from various political and religious bodies.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was granted presidential assent by President Droupadi Murmu on 5 April, following intense debates in both houses of Parliament. However, the legislation has stirred substantial controversy, with several opposition leaders, religious organisations, and civil rights bodies approaching the apex court to contest the amendments.
Among the petitioners are AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed and Imran Pratapgarhi, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, Azad Samaj Party president Chandra Shekhar Azad, and SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Kerala’s Samastha Kerala Jamiatul Ulema, Social Democratic Party of India, and the Indian Union Muslim League are also among those challenging the law.
Many of the petitioners claim that the amended Act infringes on the fundamental rights of the Muslim community and enables excessive governmental interference in the management of religious endowments. According to ANI, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board described the amendments as arbitrary, discriminatory, and exclusionary.
Manoj Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad, both Rajya Sabha MPs from Bihar’s RJD, have also filed pleas against the Act, as has RJD MLA Muhammad Izhar Asfi. DMK MP A Raja, who served on the Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the bill, has additionally approached the court.
Owaisi’s petition alleges that the law significantly dilutes the statutory protections given to Waqf properties and favours external interest groups. Amanatullah Khan’s plea highlights how the Act may curtail the religious and cultural autonomy of the Muslim community and introduce undue executive control.
(With inputs from ANI)
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