AAP's Amanatullah Khan Seeks Supreme Court Ruling on Challenged Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) AAP ) MLA Amanatullah Khan approached the Supreme Court On Saturday, they challenged the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025.
The Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an Act. After two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament, the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 was passed.
AAP MLA Khan contends that the Bill curtails the religious and cultural autonomy of Muslims, enables arbitrary executive interference, and undermines minority rights to manage their religious and charitable institutions.
The petition states that these revisions impact fundamental elements of waqf legislation, encompassing the stipulation, establishment, documentation, management, conflict resolution, and transferability of waqf assets.
Although the Bill has not yet received Presidential assent, its provisions have triggered widespread anxiety among Muslims, particularly due to changes that dilute the religious autonomy and constitutional protections of waqf institutions.
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights, an NGO , has additionally submitted a petition in the Supreme Court opposing the Bill.
So far, a total of four challenges have been submitted by different individuals and organizations.
On Friday, AIMIM member of parliament Asaduddin Owaisi approached the Supreme Court challenging the Bill.
In his appeal, Owaisi argued that the revised bill "permanently weakens" the legal safeguards formerly provided for waqf properties and their oversight structure. This gives an unfair edge to various parties with vested interests, thereby undoing significant advancements and rolling back waqf administration by many years.
The amendment bill also removes several safeguards previously granted to Waqfs, as well as Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable trusts. By reducing the protection afforded to Waqfs but maintaining these benefits for endowments of other faiths, this creates discriminatory treatment towards Muslims, violating Articles 14 and 15 of the constitution, which ban discrimination based on religion, according to the petition.
The organization further stated that these changes are incompatible with the principle of non-regression of rights, a concept deeply rooted in our constitutional legal framework.
"These amendments diminish community representation and increase susceptibility to external and executive interference, further eroding the democratic functioning of these Boards and undermining the self-governing rights of Muslims over their Waqf properties," Owaisi's petition further stated.
On Friday morning, the Rajya Sabha approved the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 following an intense debate, where 128 members voted in favor and 95 opposed.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was discussed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. After a marathon debate, it was passed past midnight, with 288 votes in favour.
This legislation seeks to address the deficiencies of the prior act and boost the effectiveness of Waqf boards by refining the registration procedures and amplifying the use of technology in handling waqf documentation. (ANI)
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