Hyderabad: The Supreme Court will rule today on pleas seeking a stay on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Petitioners sharply opposed the law, while the Centre strongly defended it.
Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih heard the case and reserved the order on May 22. The Act gained Presidential assent on April 5. Several petitioners, including AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, moved the court.
Petitioners allege bias, Centre defends reform
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the law is “unconstitutional” and “arbitrary.” He opposed the clause that lets officials suspend Waqf status during probes. Meanwhile, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan stressed the spiritual and social value of Waqf. He said no outside authority can decide what counts as an essential religious practice.
On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Waqf boards perform secular work. He said Waqf itself is not an essential religious practice. According to him, the new law seeks to stop the misuse of Waqf land and improve transparency.
Earlier, on April 17, a Bench led by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna chose not to stay the Act. The Centre had assured the court that it would not enforce the disputed provisions immediately.
