Waqf Amendment Act: SC Hears Pleas Challenging New Law
Waqf Amendment Act: SC Hears Pleas Challenging New Law
The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging the newly enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The Act, which came into force on April 8, has sparked controversy and debate over its potential impact on Muslim-owned waqf properties.
Centre Defends Act, Claims it Resolves Long-Standing Issues
Representing the Union Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the latest amendments address problems that both the British colonial administration and successive Indian governments failed to resolve. He emphasized that the Waqf tribunal possesses the authority of a civil court, ensuring that any decisions made by District Officers can be contested within the tribunal.
Petitioners Raise Concerns about ‘Creeping Acquisition’
Yesterday, petitioners countered the Supreme Court’s observation that parliamentary statutes like the Waqf (Amendment) Act enjoy a presumption of constitutionality. They characterized the new law as a “creeping acquisition” of waqf properties belonging to the Muslim community, India’s largest religious minority group.
SC to Decide on Interim Stay Order
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih has allocated another full day to determine whether an interim order to suspend the implementation of the 2025 Act is necessary. The Centre maintains that waqf, by its very nature, is a “secular concept” and should not be stayed given the presumption of constitutionality in its favor.
