Waqf Amendment Act Hearing Live Updates: Mamata appeals INDIA bloc to 'stay united and fight together' against Waqf Act

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a veiled attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing them of being "against Muslims" but receiving their hospitality in West Asian countries.

"You are against Muslims, but in Saudi Arabia, you meet Muslims... If you go to Dubai, UAE, whose hospitality do you take there... You say one thing in your country and another outside," Banerjee said while addressing the gathering in a meeting with Muslim clerics.

She further appealed to the INDIA bloc to "stay united and fight together" against the Waqf Amendment Act, whose passage has witnessed strong objections and protests from the Opposition.

"I will appeal to the INDIA bloc: let us stay united and fight together courageously. This is not a personal matter; it will affect everyone. Today, it is happening against you. Tomorrow, it will be against someone else. Now they want to bring UCC," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that it may pass interim order to stay certain key provisions of the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and also expressed concern over violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to derive political gains from the Waqf (Amendment) Act, calling the move unconstitutional and discriminatory.

While speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, CM Vijayan alleged that the RSS has openly identified minorities as internal enemies of the country -- a view he said was made evident in a recent article published in Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece.

CM Vijayan said, "The issue of the Munambam people is that they have been living there for a long time. It is difficult to move out of there. Their main issue is that they want to avoid moving out now. Since they have been living there for a long time, the government has given priority to how to protect their rights. A commission was appointed to study their problems and understand how to implement them, but there were some objections. Now the High Court has given its permission to go ahead. While appointing that commission, a request was made to the people there and those who are protesting were asked to wait until the report of the commission is received. They did not accept it."

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's proposed orders in a PIL against the Waqf Amendment Act, and hoped there would be a follow-through when the court resumes the hearing the next day. The Supreme Court on Wednesday proposed to order that the properties declared as waqf, including "waqf by user," won't be de-notified, but the Centre opposed the suggestion and sought a hearing before such a directive.

The top court also asked the Centre if Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts. It went on, "All Members of the waqf boards and the central waqf Council must be Muslims, except the ex-officio members."

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took strong note of an analogy drawn by the Centre in support of the inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf boards and the argument that by that logic, a bench of Hindu judges should not be hearing pleas related to waqf. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan was questioning the provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 that allow for the nomination of non-Muslim members to the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards.

"Are you suggesting that minorities, including Muslims, should also be included in boards managing Hindu religious institutions? Please state that openly," the CJI said.

Representing the Centre in the matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the provisions, emphasising that the inclusion of non-Muslim members is limited and does not affect the predominantly Muslim composition of these bodies.

During a hearing Wednesday on 150 petitions challenging the validity of the changes in Waqf Act, Supreme Court said some provisions were "salutary" but a few others needed "clarification".

SC had decided to pass an interim order restraining scrutiny of ownership of properties declared as 'waqf by user' and restricting nomination of non-Muslims to maximum two in Central Waqf Council and Auqaf Boards, when SG Tushar Mehta and advocate Rakesh Dwivedi persuaded it to hear them on these two issues Thursday. SC said, "You can't rewrite the past. Properties which are... hundreds of years old can't be reopened." Over non-Muslims in the council and boards, SC said, "Will govt enact a law allowing non-Hindus and Muslims to be members of Hindu religious endowment boards or institutions?"

F or the petitioners, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, A M Singhvi, C U Singh, P Wilson, Sanjay Hegde, Huzefa Ahmadi and M R Shamshad said the entire amendments to waqf Act was a concerted attempt by govt to usurp waqf functions, which squarely fell within Article 26 of the Constitution guaranteeing freedom to every religious denomination to manage their affairs. They said waqf was purely a religious affair of the followers of Islam.

When SG Mehta countered the charge by saying it was for better management of waqf properties, which had been misused and mismanaged for years, and that most changes were akin to those in the 1995 Act, the bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan took exception to the amendment requiring proof of ‘waqf by user’.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Jagdambika Pal on Wednesday sharply criticised West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, pointing to the recent unrest in Murshidabad district linked to the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Pal alleged that the state's law and order situation had deteriorated significantly and called for the imposition of President's Rule in West Bengal.

“There has been violence in Murshidabad, but as the chief minister, she has failed to address the issue. She has not taken any action against the protestors. Instead, she met Muslim religious leaders to oppose a law that has already been passed by both Houses of Parliament and approved by the President of India,” Pal said.

He accused the West Bengal chief minister of appeasement politics aimed at consolidating Muslim votes ahead of the upcoming elections.

“She is openly defying a central law and provoking communities. This is not an allegation; it’s the truth. The police administration is inactive, and even they are coming under attack. Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are being issued Aadhaar cards and added to voter lists. She is risking the state’s law and order for vote-bank politics,” he told IANS.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a sharp counterattack on Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath over his remarks on the recent communal violence in Murshidabad, reminding him of the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj that had claimed over 30 lives.

Various states have seen disputes over Waqf property claims, leading to legal battles and community concerns. As of data from September 2024, across 25 States/ UTs Waqf Boards, a total of 5973 government properties have been declared as Waqf properties. Some examples of the same:

• Tamil Nadu: A farmer in Thiruchenthurai village was unable to sell his land due to the Waqf Board’s claim over the entire village. This unexpected requirement prevented him from selling his land to repay a loan for his daughter's wedding.
• Govindpur Village, Bihar: In August 2024, The Bihar Sunni Waqf Board’s claim over an entire village in August 2024 affected seven families, leading to a case in the Patna high court. The case is sub-judice.
• Kerala: In September 2024, around 600 Christian families in Ernakulam district are contesting the Waqf Board’s claim over their ancestral land. They have appealed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
• Karnataka: In 2024, Farmers protested after the Waqf Board designated 15,000 acres in Vijayapura as Waqf land. Disputes also arose in Ballari, Chitradurga, Yadgir, and Dharwad. The government, however, assured that no evictions would take place.
• Uttar Pradesh: Complaints have been raised against alleged corruption and mismanagement by the State Waqf Board.

The concept of ‘Waqf’ is rooted in Islamic laws and traditions. It refers to an endowment made by a Muslim for charitable or religious purposes, such as building mosques, schools, hospitals, or other public institutions.

Another defining feature of a Waqf is that it's inalienable - which means it cannot be sold, gifted, inherited or encumbered. Therefore, once a property is divested from the waqif, i.e., the creator of a waqf, it vests in God and as per Islamic belief since God is ever lasting, so is the ‘waqf property’.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday proposed to order that the properties declared as waqf including "waqf by user" won't be de-notified but the Centre opposed the suggestion and sought a hearing before such a directive. The top court also asked the Centre if Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts.

"The properties declared by courts as waqfs should not be de-notified as waqfs, whether they are by waqf-by-user or waqf by deed, while the court is hearing the challenge to the Waqf Amendment Act 2025," the bench said.

The top court went on, "All Members of the waqf boards and central waqf Council must be Muslims, except the ex-officio members." (PTI)

"The bench issued four points, they said that notice will be issued, they said that in Acts made by the Parliament, normally there is no stay given, but since this is an exceptional case, they said they will give interim relief. Court said that that they are dictating the interim order, the first relief was it was said that barring the ex-officio, all the members would be Muslims, if the collector goes for survey, he can't change the nature, and before going, he had to file application in court. Third was be it any property, be it Waqf by user or registered, the government will not be denotifying till we are hearing the matter. Tushar Mehta pleaded for time," advocate Mujibur Rehman tells PTI on SC hearing in Waqf (Amendment) Act case.

"Now the hearing will be done at 2 pm tomorrow. The court has understood the whole matter, sensitivity, and how the constitution was violated," he adds.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday doubled down on her stance against the new Waqf law as she vehemently criticised the BJP-led central government, accusing it of "playing a trick" in passing the Waqf law.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts during the hearing of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

"How will you register such waqfs by user? What documents will they have? It will lead to undoing something. Yes, there is some misuse. But there are genuine ones also. I have gone through privy council judgments also. Waqf by user is recognised. If you undo it then it will be a problem. Legislature cannot declare a judgment, order or decree as void. You can only take the basis," the bench said.

Mehta submitted there was a large section of Muslims who did not want to be governed by Waqf act.

The bench then asked Mehta, "Are you saying that from now on you will allow Muslims to be part of the Hindu endowment boards. Say it openly."

The apex court said when a public trust was declared to be a waqf 100 or 200 years ago, it couldn't suddenly be taken over by the waqf board and declared otherwise.

"You cannot rewrite the past," the bench said, according to news agency PTI.

A total of 72 petitions have been filed challenging the validity of the Act. Petitioners include AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the DMK, and Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Mohammad Jawed.

Several fresh pleas were also filed in the top court subsequently, including the ones filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia-ur-Rahman Barq.

The YSRCP-led by former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Communist Party of India (CPI), Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief and actor-turned-politician Vijay have also moved the top court on the issue.

Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and one Mani Munjal have also filed a separate petition challenging the constitutional validity of several provisions of the law on the ground that they violate fundamental rights of non-Muslims. The Centre also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court on April 8, requesting to be heard before any orders are issued.

During the hearing on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna-led bench said it is very disturbed by the violence taking place in protests against the new law.

"Once the Supreme Court is seized of the matter, this should not happen," CJI Khanna said. SG said such violence has emerged as a new mode of pressure tactics.

• Ownership disputes: It can lead to conflicts over land ownership, especially if government records or private parties don’t recognise the waqf status.
• Legal ambiguity: Critics argue that "waqf by user" lacks legal safeguards and may be misused.
• Political debates: It often becomes a flashpoint in communal and political discussions about land rights and religious freedom.

After a 2-hour-long hearing, when the Supreme Court was about to dictate an interim order relating to Waqf by user and nominations to Central Waqf Council & state Aukaf Boards, solicitor general Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi insisted on a detailed hearing on the issue.

• The Bill mandates inclusion of one member each from Bohra and Aghakhani communities in State/UT Waqf Boards, if they have functional Auqaf.
• Also, the Board will have representation from Muslims belonging to backward classes apart from Shia and Sunni members.
• Includes two or more elected members from municipalities or Panchayats, strengthening local governance in waqf affairs.
• The Board/(Central Waqf Council) CWC will have two non-Muslim members excluding the ex-officio members.

The phrase "Waqf by user" refers to land or property that has been treated as waqf over time through continuous public or religious use, even if no formal waqf deed exists. If a piece of land has been used as a mosque, graveyard, or for other religious purposes for a long time — and that use has been uninterrupted and publicly acknowledged — it may be recognised as waqf property "by user".

A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan said several provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act are salutary but few, including the exapanse and ambit of 'waqf by user' and the non-Mulsim members' strength in Waqf Council, need clarification.

SC seeks Centre's response to over 100 petitions which challenge the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which seeks authentication of Waqf property and provides for appointment of non-Muslims to the Waqf Council and the Aukaf Board. But did not stay in operation of the law.

Speaking outside the Supreme Court during the ongoing hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, Congress MP Imran Masood said:

“There’s a huge crowd (inside the courtroom), it’s difficult to even enter. The hearing has just begun, and I have full faith that justice will be served. We can’t comment on judicial proceedings, but we truly believe that justice will be delivered from here.”

As the SC is going to hear pleas against Waqf Amendment Act today, one of the petitioner Jaleed Ahmad said, "The Waqf (Amendment) that has come, a new provision of 'Waqf By User' is an attempt to dilute Places of Worship Act, 1991. Secondly, in new amendment, a condition was brought that mentioned that all the Waqf would be have to produce the documental evidence in every six months on the portal. Earlier the Waqf used to be verbal, there are no documents, but they are Waqf. The act was forced unconstitutionally on the community. Court is the only place where we can expect the justice, we hope that the SC would do justice."

"The Supreme Court will be hearing the petitions today. I and our party, Akhilesh Yadav had opposed the (Waqf) bill when it was brought in Parliament. This bill is meant to divide our society and obstruct the development of our nation. We protested against the bill inside Parliament and at Jantar Mantar too. I have also filed a writ in Supreme Court which will be heard today, and we are hoping for justice," Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rahman Barq said ahead of SC hearing

In a significant development, six BJP-ruled states including Madhya Pradesh and Assam have approached the Supreme Court to support the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan is likely to hear at 2 pm a batch of petitions, including the one of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, against the constitutional validity of the new Waqf law.

The six BJP-ruled states -- Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Assam -- have filed separate pleas highlighting the potential administrative and legal ramifications if the Waqf (Amendment) Act is struck down or altered.

Haryana, which has filed the intervention in the lead petition, emphasised the urgent need for reform in the management of Waqf property.

The state government pointed to persistent issues such as incomplete property surveys, lack of proper accounting, long-pending cases in Waqf tribunals and irregular or missing records of property mutations.

It said the amended law seeks to bring a unified structure for Waqf management and ensure greater oversight of Mutawallis (custodians).

The Maharashtra government asserted that it is crucial to assist the apex court by providing parliamentary records, committee recommendations and insights from national consultations.

As Supreme Court readies to hear on Wednesday a bunch of petitions challenging Waqf Amendment Act, a petition by advocate Hari Shankar Jain sought scrapping of several provisions of waqf Act, 1995 and recent amendments alleging their use as tools by waqfs to illegally amass immoveable properties across India.

In his petition, Jain, who is in the forefront of litigation for restoration of Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi and Idgah at Mathura to Kashi Vishwanath temple and Krishna Janmasthan temple, challenged as many as six section of the waqf Act alleging that because of these provisions "Muslims have been able to illegally capture the properties belonging to public utilities, govt, gram samajs and Hindu temples."

All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council Chairman Syed Naseruddin Chishty on Tuesday extended his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Waqf Amendment Act, stating that the government's intent behind the move is "very clear."

Speaking to ANI, Syed Naseruddin Chishty said that he is hopeful that the new Act will properly utilise the Waqf Fund for the welfare of society.

"What PM Modi said yesterday made his intent very clear. He said that the Waqf Act is being amended so that there is proper utilisation of Waqf management, its properties, its funds and upliftment of poor Muslims. That is what the PM said, and it is absolutely correct. I agree with him. The Govt's intent is very clear... I, too, am very hopeful that with the new Act, the Waqf Fund will be properly utilised for the welfare of society," Syed Naseruddin Chishty said.

A day earlier, PM Modi accused the Congress party of spreading "votebank ka virus" for opposing the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act. The Prime Minister also accused the Opposition party of treating the SC and ST communities as "second-class citizens".

Residents of a village near here on Tuesday claimed that they have received notice from authorities administering a local mosque-dargah declaring their land to be "Waqf" property.

The notice has asked them to pay rent/fee or vacate, they alleged and said that they have petitioned Vellore District Collector V R Subbulaxmi to look into the matter and render justice.

The residents of Kaatukollai village under Anaikattu union (Vellore district), near Virinichipuram said they have been living in the village for about 3-4 generations and now, all of a sudden, they have received notices.

Approximately 150 families live in the village and the exact number of residents who received the so-called notice could not be verified immediately.

Officials did not answer phone calls for comment and the content of the "notice" could not be immediately cross-checked.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) National General Secretary PK Kunhalikutty on Tuesday said that the Waqf Amendment Act goes against the Constitution.

Speaking to ANI, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) National General Secretary PK Kunhalikutty said, "We are confident. The Supreme Court is taking up the matter. We have given our petition, and senior Advocate Kapil Sibal is appearing. It (the Waqf Amendment Act) is against the Constitution. That is what we believe."

He mentioned that the matter is now with the Supreme Court, and senior advocate Kapil Sibal is representing their petition.

The petitions filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, were mentioned before the Supreme Court on April 7.