The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on April 16 a series of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The matter is listed as item number 13 on the apex court&rsquo;s causelist.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice KV Vishwanathan will preside over the hearing. The Central government has filed a caveat application in the matter, requesting that no order be passed without hearing its side. A caveat application ensures that a litigant is given an opportunity to be heard before any adverse order is passed.
Multiple petitions have been filed in the apex court opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which received Presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 after being passed in both Houses of Parliament following intense debates. The petitions argue that the legislation is discriminatory towards the Muslim community and infringes upon their fundamental rights.
Petitioners include prominent political leaders and organisations. Among them are All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed and Imran Pratapgarhi, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, Azad Samaj Party President and MP Chandra Shekhar Azad, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal Zia Ur Rehman Barq, and RJD MPs from Bihar Manoj Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad. RJD MLA Muhammad Izhar Asfi has also filed a petition.
In addition, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani, Kerala-based Sunni scholars' body Samastha Kerala Jamiatul Ulema, the Social Democratic Party of India, the Indian Union Muslim League, and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights have approached the court challenging the amendments.
DMK MP A Raja, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill, also filed a plea against the Act. Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, another committee member, submitted that the Act imposes restrictions specifically on the Muslim community that are not applicable to the governance of other religious endowments.
Owaisi argued in his petition that the amended Act "irreversibly dilute" the statutory protections previously granted to Waqfs and their regulatory framework. He further contended that it benefits other stakeholders at the expense of the Muslim community, undermining decades of progress in Waqf management.
In his submission, Amanatullah Khan stated that the legislation undermines the religious and cultural autonomy of Muslims, facilitates arbitrary executive interference, and erodes minority rights to administer their religious and charitable institutions.
Samastha Kerala Jamiatul Ulema argued that the amendments would distort the religious nature of Waqfs and harm the democratic framework of Waqf Boards&rsquo; administration.
Maulana Arshad Madani challenged several provisions of the Act, describing them as unconstitutional and detrimental to the integrity of Waqf jurisprudence in India. His petition raised concerns about mandatory timelines for uploading information to a newly proposed Waqf Portal and Database, which could endanger the existence of historic waqfs&mdash;especially those created orally or without formal documentation.
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights argued that the Act constitutes an unnecessary and troubling intervention into the religious affairs of the Muslim community. According to the organisation, the legislation compromises the foundational intent of Waqf, a practice with deep roots in Quranic tradition.
The Supreme Court will consider all these arguments when it hears the consolidated pleas on April 16.
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Multiple parties move SC against Waqf Act; hearing set for April 16 before bench led by Chief Justice Khanna

SC to Hear Pleas on Waqf Act Validity on April 16

Multiple parties move SC against Waqf Act; hearing set for April 16 before bench led by Chief Justice Khanna

April 10, 2025 | 16:40 IST