Waqf Act SC hearing: No interim order as of now, court to reconvene tomorrow at 2 PM

Waqf Act SC hearing LIVE: Several BJP-ruled states are all set to defend the Waqf law in the Supreme Court.

Waqf Amendment Act SC hearing: A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, heard a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on Wednesday, April 16. The act, which came into force on April 8, was passed by the Parliament houses in March and received President Droupadi Murmu's assent on April 5. In Lok Sabha, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill received 232 votes in favour, while in Rajya Sabha, 128 voted for the legislation.

The pleas against the Waqf Act have been filed by several opposition parties and leaders, including the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Aam Aadmi Party, YSRCP, AIMIM, among others. NGOs and organisations such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have also moved the top court against it.

Waqf SC hearing today | Key points

• The Waqf Amendment Act aims at redressing the issues and challenges in regulating and managing the Waqf properties. The Centre has clarified that the act does not target the Muslim community, but rather is meant to rectify "past mistakes".
• Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the government's intention was to ensure there is no provision for anyone in India to "forcefully and unilaterally" take over another person's land.
• AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in his plea in the Supreme Court against the Waqf Act, said that the law "brazenly violates the fundamental rights of Muslims and the Muslim community".
• While oppositions have moved the top court to challenge the legality of the law, several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan have joined in on the side to defend the Waqf law.