The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has declared its intention to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act following an interim decision by the Supreme Court. The Board has expressed its dissatisfaction with the court’s temporary ruling regarding the law.
The Muslim Personal Law Board has announced a dharna and mass arrest campaign at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on September 24th. The Board has also appealed to the Muslim community, urging them to close their offices and shops from 8 am to 2 pm on September 26th.
The Board is further requesting Muslims to display banners stating their opposition to the Waqf Amendment Act. A major rally is planned for November 16th at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. In addition, the Board will conduct घेराव (gherao – siege) of Governor Houses across various states. Muslims across the country are being called upon to participate in demonstrations. A march to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President’s House, is also planned to protest the Waqf Amendment Act, although the date of the march remains unannounced.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act-2025 was enacted after being passed by Parliament and receiving presidential approval. However, the legislation is being challenged in the Supreme Court. The court recently issued an interim order related to this case. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) stated that there is insufficient grounds to halt the entire Waqf (Amendment) Act. Nevertheless, certain sections of the Act are subject to a stay.
Essentially, a two-judge bench led by CJI BR Gavai has temporarily suspended specific provisions while hearing five petitions challenging the Waqf Act.
The Waqf law includes a provision stating that only those who have practiced Islam for a minimum of 5 years are eligible to donate property to Waqf. This is detailed in Section 3 (r) of the law. The court has suspended this provision until states establish mechanisms to ascertain an individual’s adherence to Islam.
The court has also stayed the implementation of Section 3C of the Waqf (Amendment) Act-2025, which mandates that a property cannot be designated as Waqf unless a collector confirms that there are no encroachments associated with the Waqf declaration.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 allows for the inclusion of non-Muslims on the 11-member Waqf Board. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that no more than three non-Muslim members may be appointed to the Board. The court did not impose a stay on Section 23 of the Waqf Act, which addresses the appointment of ex-officio members (CEOs) to Waqf Boards. The court has recommended that, to the extent possible, Muslims should be appointed to these positions.
