Waqf Amendment Act In Supreme Court: Here's How Parties Reacted

The Congress said the Waqf Amendment Act is not just legally flawed but morally vacuous and that it attacks the very soul of the Constitution.

Supreme Court will hear the matter on May 5.

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant an interim stay on the Waqf (Amendment) Act but ordered that no existing waqf properties will be denotified and there will not be any alteration in the character of any Waqf property.

The apex court will hear the matter on May 5 and directed the centre to file its response in a week. Several political parties and petitioners reacted to the Supreme Court ruling on Waqf act.

The Congress said the Waqf Amendment Act is not just legally flawed but morally vacuous and that it attacks the very soul of the Constitution.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, addressing a press conference here, said the law attacks the rights of minorities in the name of reform and the party will not allow this to happen. Singhvi said what the government is calling a reform is actually an attack on the rights of minorities.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the Supreme Court’s observations on the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 have brought into sharp focus the very apprehensions raised by the INDIA bloc parties inside and outside Parliament. "They have opened the space for a broader and necessary debate on the legitimate concerns surrounding this hastily enacted legislation — concerns that were neither adequately addressed during the JPC deliberations nor after the day-long discussion in Parliament.The Court’s pointed remarks raise serious constitutional questions about the Act’s infringement on fundamental rights and lay bare its divisive undercurrents," Vengopal said in a post on X.

#WATCH | On Waqf Act, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, " It has been our party's and All India Muslim Personal Law Board that this black law is unconstitutional as it violates fundamental rights. We see today's interim order cautiously because there are 40-45 amendments in this… pic.twitter.com/AUBd5HnBvv

— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2025

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Waqf Act is not to save the Waqf, but to destroy it and added that his party will support the protests by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

"It has been our party's and All India Muslim Personal Law Board that this black law is unconstitutional as it violates fundamental rights. We see today's interim order cautiously because there are 40-45 amendments in this law...When the Govt of India makes rules that weaken Waqf, it will be against federalism. There are many sections in this law that weaken the Waqf. Our legal battle and protest against it will continue. This law is not to save the Waqf but to destroy it...We will support the protests by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board," Owaisi said.

Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi thanked the apex court and said, "The Supreme Court has put a stay on many points of the anti-constitutional amendments made in the Waqf law till further orders." "The suggestions given by the opposition MPs in JPC and Parliament were rejected. Some petitioners had gone to the Supreme Court regarding this," he said.

#WATCH | The Supreme Court yesterday asked the Centre if Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts while hearing pleas against the Centre's Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.

In Delhi, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the JPC of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and BJP MP, says,… pic.twitter.com/VjlfUXbLq4

— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2025

Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the JPC of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and BJP MP, said that Waqf is a statutory and administrative body and not a religious one. He added that the changed made in the Waqf is not an interference in religious matters.

"It's a valid question. But the thing is that the Supreme Court is asking this question today while such orders have been passed in the past. Supreme Court said that the Waqf Board is not a religious body but a legal one which looks after the Waqf properties. Similarly, in another order, it was said that Waqf is a statutory and administrative body and not a religious one. Hence, it's not an interference in religious matters, and if it is an administrative body, it's completely fine to have both Muslim and non-Muslim members in it," Pal said.

Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam president Vijay said that he is grateful to the SC for its order on Waqf Act.

We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for its order today on our petition against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2005. The Union Government is refrained from acting upon the key provisions of the bill that are unconstitutional, be it inclusion of non Muslims in…

— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) April 17, 2025

"We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for its order today on our petition against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2005. The Union Government is refrained from acting upon the key provisions of the bill that are unconstitutional, be it inclusion of non Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards which would mean interfering with the administration of a religious denomination and provisions on denotifying properties including Waqf by user," Vijay said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Dawoodi Bohras met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express their gratefulness to him for the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

In a post on X, Modi said, "Had a wonderful meeting with members of the Dawoodi Bohra community! We talked about a wide range of issues during the interaction."

In the interaction, a community member told Modi that they had been seeking exemption from the Waqf regulations since 1923 and lauded him for taking care of the minority within a minority with the new law that allows them to opt-out.