Supreme Court to Hear Petitions Challenging Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025

Last Updated May - 20 - 2025, 12:32 PM | Source : Fela News

The Supreme Court will hear pleas questioning the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, focusing on property denotification, board composit

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a series of petitions today challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and may consider granting an interim stay on certain provisions.

A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih had earlier postponed the hearing to May 20, stating that it would hear arguments on interim relief related to three key issues. The first concerns the authority to denotify properties designated as waqf through court rulings, by user, or by deed. The second issue, raised by the petitioners, questions the composition of state waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council, arguing that only Muslims—excluding ex-officio members—should serve on these bodies. The third issue pertains to a clause stating that a property will not be classified as waqf if, during an inquiry, the collector determines it to be government land.

During the previous hearing, the Chief Justice emphasized that the court will not entertain challenges to the original Waqf Act of 1995 within the scope of petitions targeting the 2025 amendments.