- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Intervention applications have been submitted to the Supreme Court in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, asserting that the amendments align with the Constitution of India. An intervention application allows a party to participate in a legal case.
The applications were filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, a member of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, and Vishnu Gupta, National President of the NGO Hindu Sena, who oppose petitions challenging the Act. They argued that the amendments do not violate the rights of any Muslim community member.
The applications explain that Section 40 of the Waqf Act, 1995 empowered the Waqf board to gather information on properties suspected to be Waqf property, which led to the board acquiring vast amounts of land under the guise of Waqf designation. As a result, they contend that Parliament was compelled to amend the provisions of the Waqf Act.
Represented by advocate Barun Sinha, the applicants stated that no legislation should allow unfettered power to acquire land and property based solely on religious practices. They believe that the Waqf Acts of 1954 and 1995 violate the principles of the Constitution of India and maintain that the Parliament has rightly amended these “draconian” provisions.
A bench comprised of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar, and Justice KV Vishwanathan is set to hear the petitions challenging the Act on April 16. The Central government has also filed a caveat application, requesting to be heard in these cases to challenge the validity of the Act. A caveat application prevents adverse court orders from being made without the filing party being heard.
Numerous petitions have been filed against the Act, claiming it discriminates against the Muslim community and violates their fundamental rights. On April 5, President Droupadi Murmu approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which had been passed by Parliament after extensive debates.
Members of various political parties and organizations, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed and Imran Pratapgarhi, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, and various Muslim scholars and organizations, have approached the Supreme Court opposing the Act. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has also filed a challenge, characterizing the Act as “arbitrary, discriminatory, and exclusionary.”
Additionally, Manoj Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad, MPs from the RJD in Rajya Sabha, have contested the Act, citing concerns over government overreach into Muslim religious endowments. RJD MLA Muhammad Izhar Asfi and the ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu have likewise raised objections through their representatives in the Supreme Court.
