The Communist Party of India (CPI) has put the Supreme Court on challenge to the effectiveness of the WAQF (Amendment) Act, 2025 constitution.
The left filed a written petition through its Secretary-General D Raja, which argued that despite the mass objection, the Centre passed the WAQF (Amendment) bill without proper consideration of objections raised by members of the Joint Parliament Committee (formed the Act) and other interests and other stakeholders.
The plea filed by the defense attorney Ram Sankar, filed by the General Court, said the Amendment issued on April 5, greatly weakened the autonomy of the WAQF board and fundamentally changed the framework of the 1995 WAQF Act.
“It gives the central government unrestricted powers over the administration of the WAQF board of directors, thus infringing on the rights guaranteed under Articles 25, 26 and 29,” CPI said.
CJI-led bench heard on April 16
Earlier, several petitions were filed in the top courts, and legislation was proposed on various grounds.
Recently, actor politician and TV chairman Vijay has questioned the legislation.
Judge Sanjiv Khanna, led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), is scheduled to hear more than a dozen petitions on April 16, including a petition filed by Aimim MP Asaduddin Owaisi, challenging the constitutional validity of the WAQF law.
Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice KV Viswanathan are part of the bench for the three judges who are hearing the petition, according to the Apex Court website.
In addition to Mr. Owaisi’s plea, the Supreme Court also listed the hearing petition filed by AAP MLA AMAMANATULLAH KHAN, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, Arshad Madani, Samastha Kerala kerala kerala jamiathul jamiathul jamiathul ulema, Anjum kadari, Anjum Kadari, Anjum Kadari, Taiyyab Khan Salmani, Manohha, Mohhahd Shafi, Mohhah Hahha and Mohhah and faz J.
The Apex Court registry has not listed some other petitions in front of the bench.
On April 8, the center issued a warning before the Supreme Court to conduct a hearing before any order was passed in this case.
One party issued a warning in the High Court and the Supreme Court to ensure that no orders were heard.
The Alliance Government informed the WAQF (Amendment) Act on April 8, which accepted Droupadi Murmu’s consent on April 5 on April 5 after a long and intense debate between the two houses.
The legislation was passed in Rajya Sabha, with 128 members voting for it, while 95 opposed the bill. Lok Sabha cleared it, with 288 members supporting it and 232 voted against it.
All India Muslim Private Law Commission (AIMPLB), Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, DMK, MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Mohd Jawed, and CPI through its leader D Raja are other key petitioners.
Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK also promoted the top court through its Under-Secretary General A Raja and said in a press release: “Although widespread opposition, the Union Government has passed objections raised by members of the Joint Committee, but the WAQF (Amendment) bill has passed objections raised by the Joint Committee and other people who have interests.”
The party said the violation of the bill immediately and undermined the rights of about 5 million Muslims in Tamil Nadu and the rights of 2 billion Muslims in other parts of the country.
In addition to political parties, Muslim institutions such as Aimplb, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Samasstha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema (a religious organization of Sunni Muslim scholars and pastors in Kerala) have also filed separate requests in the top courts.
AIMPLB spokesman SQR ILYAS said in a press statement that its petition strongly opposed the adoption of an amendment to Parliament “arbitrary, discriminatory and exclusion-based”.
He said that the amendments not only violated the fundamental rights guaranteed by articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, but also clearly revealed the government’s intention to fully control the administration of the WAQF and thus keep Muslim minorities from their own religious donations.
He said articles 25 and 26 ensure freedom of conscience, the right to practice the right, the right to spread religion and the right to establish and manage institutions for religious and charitable purposes.
Congressman Jawed’s plea claims the bill imposed “arbitrary restrictions” on WAQF property and its management, undermining religious autonomy in Muslim communities.
Aimim Chief Owaisi said in his separate confession that the legislation received various protections from the WAQFS, as well as Hindu, Jain and Sikh and Sikh religious and charitable donations.
The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights of NGOs also proposed the constitutional effectiveness of the law in the Supreme Court.
AAP’s Delhi MLA Khan seeks law to declare unconstitutional, violating “Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Constitution”.
publishing – April 14, 2025, 3:30 pm IST
