Waqf war reaches Supreme Court: After Congress MP, AIMIM chief Owaisi moves top court challenging Bill

NEW DELHI: The legal and political battle over the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 has reached the Supreme Court, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi joining Congress MP Mohammad Jawed in challenging the bill’s constitutional validity. Both leaders have alleged that the proposed amendments infringe on the fundamental rights of Muslims and introduce discriminatory state control over Islamic religious endowments.The petitions, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, come even before the Bill has received Presidential assent. It was passed by both Houses of Parliament amid sharp opposition.Jawed, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee that reviewed the bill, argued that the amendments violate Articles 14, 25, 26, 29, and 300A of the Constitution, which relate to equality, religious freedom, minority rights, and property. He said the bill introduces arbitrary restrictions, including one based on the duration of religious practice, which could prevent recent converts from dedicating property under waqf — a condition he said is alien to Islamic law, reported Bar and Bench.Another contentious change flagged in the petition is the proposed inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council. “This selective intervention lacks any reasonable justification and constitutes an arbitrary classification,” the plea mentioned, noting that similar interference is absent in the governance of Hindu or Sikh religious trusts.Speaking to the media, Jawed said, “Several people in India will file this petition, several parties will do this... In the Parliament, everyone in the Opposition said that this is unconstitutional... How can you snatch away our right? If you have numbers, it doesn’t mean you get passed anything you want and do something unlawful.”AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has also called the Bill a “brazen violation” of the Muslim community’s rights. During the debate in Parliament, he tore a copy of the legislation, comparing his act to Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience in South Africa. “Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law. This is unconstitutional. The BJP wants to create divisiveness in this country in the name of temples and mosques,” he said.He also urged the government to consider the 10 amendments he proposed during the debate, warning that the Bill would curtail Muslim rights.What Is the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025?The Waqf Amendment Bill seeks to revise the Waqf Act, 1995, which governs religious endowments under Islamic law in India. It defines the roles of Waqf Boards, Tribunals, and administrative structures overseeing waqf properties. While the government says the amendments are aimed at better regulation and transparency, critics argue the bill introduces state interference not applied to other religious institutions and undermines community autonomy.