Jamiat moves SC against Waqf Bill, calls it 'attack on religious freedom'

New Delhi: The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has approached the Supreme Court with a petition contesting the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, arguing that it represents a "dangerous conspiracy" aimed at undermining Muslims' religious freedom, reported PTI.

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was earlier passed by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses.

Several petitions, including one by Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, have been filed in the apex court challenging the validity of the Act. In its petition, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has said that this law was a "direct attack on the country's Constitution, which not only provides equal rights to its citizens but also grants them complete religious freedom".

"This bill is a dangerous conspiracy to strip Muslims of their religious freedom. Therefore, we have challenged the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in the Supreme Court, and the state units of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will also challenge the constitutional validity of this law in the high courts of their respective states," the Jamiat said in a press release.

"President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani, has not only challenged various provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act but has also filed an interim petition in court to prevent the law from coming into effect," it said.

In its separate plea filed in the top court, Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, a religious organisation of Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics in Kerala, has claimed the Act was a "blatant intrusion" into the rights of a religious denomination to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion.

The plea, filed through advocate Zulfiker Ali P S, said these amendments would "distort" the religious character of Waqfs while also irreversibly damaging the democratic process in the administration of Waqf and Waqf Boards.

"Hence, it is submitted that the 2025 Act is a blatant intrusion into the rights of a religious denomination to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion which is protected under Article 26 of the Constitution of India," said the plea by Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema.

It alleged that the 2025 Act was against the federal principles of Constitution as it takes away all powers of the state governments and State Waqf Boards in connection with Waqfs and accumulates all powers into the hands of the Central government.

"The cumulative effect of these provisions will be highly detrimental to Waqfs at large and the Muslim community will be deprived of large tract of Waqf properties on account of operation of these provisions," the plea said.

Several pleas, including those by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, were filed in the top court challenging the validity of the Act.

In addition to them, an NGO—the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights—has also filed a petition in the apex court challenging the constitutional validity of the Act.

The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. The Lok Sabha cleared it with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it.