The Supreme Court is set to hear multiple petitions on May 5 challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, weeks after the government assured the court that it would not denotify waqf properties or make appointments to the Central Waqf Council and boards until further orders.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, urged the court not to stay the Act without hearing the government’s arguments. The government has strongly opposed an interim halt to the denotification process and the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and boards.
In its defence, the Centre submitted an affidavit asserting that the amendments respect religious practices while preventing the misuse of waqf provisions. The government highlighted a sharp rise in waqf properties following the 2013 amendment, calling the figures “shocking.”
Muslim bodies, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, have criticised the government’s data, arguing that the figures presented in court were inaccurate. They have demanded action against officials responsible for submitting “false affidavits.”
The Supreme Court has restricted the hearing to five petitions, dismissing over 70 other litigants who had raised concerns over the law. The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, was passed in Parliament with considerable support and received presidential assent earlier this year.
