Wearing black badges in protest against Waqf Bill, 24 people in Muzaffarnagar asked to furnish a bond of ₹2 lakh each

City magistrate issued notices to 24 people, directing them to appear in court on April 16 and furnish ₹2 lakh bonds each as surety for maintaining peace.

Published on: Apr 5, 2025, 13:06:52 IST

By HT News Desk

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Wearing black badges to protest the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has landed 24 people in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar in trouble, with authorities issuing notices and demanding ₹2 lakh bonds from each of them.

A Muslim devotee ties a black armband on another devotee as they arrive to offer 'namaz' on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan, at Taj-ul-Masajid, in Bhopal, Friday, March 28, 2025. (PTI FILE)

Sharing details with reporters on Saturday, Superintendent of Police (City) Satyanarayan Prajapat said 24 people were identified through CCTV footage, following which notices were issued to them.

Based on a police report, the notices were issued by city magistrate Vikas Kashyap, directing the 24 people to appear in court on April 16 and furnish bonds of ₹2 lakh each as a surety for maintaining peace.

On Jumat-ul-Vida, March 28, these people were found wearing black badges in protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 at various mosques in the area.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had urged Muslims across the country to wear black armbands on Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of Ramzan, to protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Those who received the notices said they wore black badges only to express their protest in a peaceful and democratic manner, without intending to disturb public order or create tension.

Minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, saying the proposed law is neither directed against Muslims nor meant to hurt their religious sentiments.

He said the objective of the Bill is to enhance the management of Waqf properties, simplify complex procedures, bring greater transparency, and implement a system supported by technology.

The Bill was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha with a 288-232 vote after a nearly 12-hour-long debate that extended into the early hours of Thursday. It was later cleared by the Rajya Sabha following an intense discussion that lasted over 13 hours.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Bill was approved with 128 votes in favour and 95 votes against, marking the conclusion of a lengthy and charged debate over its provisions and implications.

With PTI inputs

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