Waqf Protest: Owaisi Vows To Continue Agitation, AIMPLB Plans Public Meetings, Human Chain

Addressing a public meeting on Saturday, Asaduddin Owaisi emphasised that the opposition to the Act would mirror the earlier protests against the repealed farm laws.

AIMPLB convened a mass gathering in Hyderabad on Sunday night.

Source : PTI

Protests against the newly passed Waqf Act continues across several cities in India, even as the Supreme Court continues to hear a bunch of petitions challenging the legislation. 

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called a massive protest in Hyderabad at the AIMIM headquarters in Hyderabad on Sunday which drew a huge crowd on Sunday. 

Addressing the public meeting, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi vowed to continue protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act until it is rolled back and accused the Centre of targeting Muslim identity and rights.

Owaisi emphasised that the opposition to the Act would mirror the earlier protests against the repealed farm laws. During the meeting, a symbolic blackout protest was declared for April 30, urging households to switch off their lights at 9 pm. 

The "Save Wakf, Save Constitution" meeting was attended by thousands, including representatives from the Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), YSR Congress Party, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

"You (PM Narendra Modi) will have to take back this law. The way our farmer brothers have shown the path, we will continue to agitate the same way. Until the law is withdrawn, there will be peaceful protest in the country," Owaisi said, according to PTI.

He asked the crowd: "Are you (gathering) ready for a long-drawn democratic battle? If you are ready, promise yourself that we will continue to protest till this black law is not withdrawn and we will not step back."

Cellphone ki light jalao taaki @BJP4India walo'n ki dimaag ki batti jale #AIMIM #AsaduddinOwaisi #WaqfAmendmentBill #Darussalam #Owaisi #Hyderabadpic.twitter.com/hcKStPo8ow

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) April 20, 2025

The AIMIM leader also claimed that the exclusion of the Dawoodi Bohras from the Waqf (Amendment) bill was a move to divide and weaken the Muslim community.

"The (Bohra) community clearly stated before the Joint Parliamentary Committee that they do not back this law. Yet, the BJP has distorted their position and misled the public, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he alleged.

Taking exception to a BJP leader's remarks on the Supreme Court, Owaisi said, "When verdicts like those in Ayodhya and other cases go against Muslims, we don't lash out... Even when the decision goes against what we wish for, we accept it. We accept because we believe in constitutional morality. But, these Sangh Parivar people are anti-constitution people."

He further alleged that the BJP is undermining the Constitution and threatening with a religious war. 

Round-Table Meetings and Public Mobilisation Planned

The AIMPLB, as part of its broader mobilisation strategy, has announced a city-level round-table meeting on May 18, with plans to replicate the initiative across all districts. 

"Local minority leaders and secular representatives must be invited to participate," the AIMPLB board said. 

A women-led public meeting is also scheduled for May 22 at the Eidgah Bilali Hockey Ground in Hyderabad.

A human chain protest is also set to take place on May 25 between 2 pm and 2:30 pm in Hyderabad, followed by a sit-in demonstration on June 1. 

Public meetings are also be held in various districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in consultation with regional leadership, AIMPLB officials confirmed.

'The Law Will Strip Muslims of Their Own Property’

AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani expressed concern over the Waqf Act and expressed hope that the judiciary would intervene. 

"This law makes it nearly impossible to reclaim encroached Wakf properties,” he said. “It effectively reduces Muslims to mere visitors of their own heritage. Even iconic sites like Mecca Masjid could be stripped of Wakf status," Rahmani warned.