NEW DELHI: The recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, has triggered a wave of protests and legal confrontations across India, with political parties, religious organizations, and civil society groups voicing concern over its implications for minority rights and religious freedoms.
While the Centre has defended the legislation as a historic reform, critics claim it enables state overreach into Muslim endowments and threatens the secular fabric of the Constitution. Here’s a round-up of the latest developments:
AIMIM protests in Jaipur over ‘targeting’ of Muslim community
After Friday prayers, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) staged a peaceful protest in Jaipur’s Bhatta Basti area to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Rajasthan AIMIM chief Jameel Khan alleged that the legislation is an attempt by the Centre to take control of Waqf assets and marginalize Muslims.
“This legislation is not about reform, but about reinforcing a broader agenda of exclusion and injustice against Muslims,” said Khan. “We will continue to assert our democratic right to peaceful protest and also launch a public awareness campaign.”
Khan said that their demonstration aimed to urge citizens and lawmakers alike to reassess the broader impact of the amendment on minority rights and social harmony.
West Bengal to defy law, says Mamata Banerjee
As violent protests rocked parts of Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state will not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
“This law was made by the Centre. We did not make it. We do not support it, and it will not be implemented in West Bengal,” she posted on X.
Stressing calm, Banerjee urged all communities to avoid being misled by political provocateurs. Protests in Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly turned violent, with vehicles torched and roads blocked. Banerjee warned of strict legal action against those inciting riots.
Congress, Muslim bodies call act ‘unconstitutional’
The Congress party has pledged to challenge the Act, calling it a violation of the Constitution’s basic structure.
“The law is part of a broader agenda to polarize the country on religious lines,” said Congress leader Swadesh Sharma.
“Just as public sector units were sold off to industrialist friends, this law seeks to gift donated lands to a few.”
Several Muslim organizations, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind and Indian Union Muslim League, have announced plans to take legal recourse, while protests continue across states.
National Conference moves Supreme Court; multiple petitions pending
The National Conference (NC), currently in power in Jammu & Kashmir, has petitioned the Supreme Court, calling the Act a “constitutionally alarming interference” in Muslim religious affairs. NC MLAs Arjun Singh Raju, Hilal Akbar Lone, and others filed a writ on April 11.
“On the directions of Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah… our MLAs have filed a writ petition seeking justice,” the NC posted on X.
Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s bench is set to hear a clutch of similar petitions on April 16. Other challengers include AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, SDPI, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, and civil rights organizations.
Hindu Sena backs act, files intervention plea in SC
In contrast, Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta filed an intervention application in support of the Act, arguing that the original Waqf Act enabled wrongful claims on non-Muslim property.
“The unamended provision of the Waqf Act, 1995, caused serious prejudice to the rights and interests of non-Muslims,” read the plea.
The plea contends that the 2025 amendment restores justice to non-Muslims whose properties were allegedly misclassified as Waqf assets.
Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board to issue notices to 2,000 occupants
In Bhopal, MP Waqf Board chairman Sanwar Patel said the board is preparing to serve notices to nearly 2,000 people for illegal occupation of Waqf properties.
“Out of 15,008 Waqf properties in the state, most are occupied. We’ll ask them to vacate or become legal tenants, failing which action will follow under the new law,” Patel told ANI.
He accused several Congress leaders, including a national president and AIMIM chief Owaisi, of occupying such properties. Patel also cited an RRC (Revenue Recovery Certificate) of Rs 7.11 crore against Congress leader Riyaz Khan.
