Six states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have filed separate applications before the Supreme Court in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, advocating for its constitutional validity. The states include Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Assam.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, is expected to hear a group of petitions at 2 pm. Among them is a challenge filed by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi, questioning the legality of the amended Waqf law.
Haryana, which submitted its intervention in the main petition, highlighted the necessity for reforms in Waqf property management. It pointed to several long-standing problems such as unfinished surveys, absence of standard accounting systems, delayed matters in Waqf tribunals, and discrepancies or missing entries in property mutation records.&nbsp;
According to the state, the new law proposes a streamlined structure to manage Waqf affairs and offers stricter supervision of Mutawallis, the custodians.
The Maharashtra government stated that it aimed to aid the court by furnishing documentation from Parliament, input from committee deliberations, and feedback gathered during national-level consultations. It also indicated plans to provide comparisons with other religious endowment laws in the country, along with data exposing instances of misuse and lack of transparency within the Waqf administration.
Madhya Pradesh&rsquo;s petition stated that the amendment seeks substantial changes in the regulation and oversight of Waqf properties. The government noted that the law introduces a technology-integrated system designed to ensure legal strength, promote accountability, improve transparency, and enhance the socio-economic development of the intended recipients.
Rajasthan brought attention to previous practices where both state-owned and private properties were labelled as Waqf assets without following due procedure. It stated that the amended provisions remedy this issue by requiring a 90-day public notice, published in two major newspapers, prior to any such declaration. This, according to the state, upholds procedural integrity and grants stakeholders an opportunity to voice their objections.
In its plea, Chhattisgarh stressed the significance of simplifying bureaucratic procedures and improving collaboration between local authorities and Waqf boards. The state added that the implementation of a digital portal for Waqf property oversight would enable better identification, monitoring, and auditing of assets, thereby reinforcing transparency in financial operations.
Assam&rsquo;s submission focused on Section 3E of the revised Act, which prevents the declaration of land located within Scheduled or Tribal Areas &mdash; as outlined under the Constitution&rsquo;s Fifth or Sixth Schedule &mdash; as Waqf property. The state pointed out that eight out of its 35 districts fall under the Sixth Schedule, making the outcome of the case particularly relevant for its administration.
Additionally, the Uttarakhand Waqf Board, which supports the Waqf (Amendment) Act, has also approached the apex court seeking to intervene in the petition filed by Owaisi challenging the Act&rsquo;s constitutionality.
The Supreme Court is slated to commence the hearing later today.
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Six BJP-ruled states file petitions in Supreme Court supporting the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act

Six BJP-Ruled States Support Waqf Act in SC

Six BJP-ruled states file petitions in Supreme Court supporting the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act

April 16, 2025 | 12:01 IST