New Delhi, April 16, 2025: As the Supreme Court began hearing multiple petitions against the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, it posed a sharp question to the Centre on Wednesday—would it be open to allowing Muslims in Hindu religious trusts, just as the amended law permits non-Muslims on Waqf boards?
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, took up 72 petitions, including those filed by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and other political and religious groups. The bench emphasized two key questions: whether the court should hear the matter directly or send it to the high courts, and what the core arguments of the petitioners were.
The new law, which got presidential assent on April 5 and passed both Houses of Parliament amid tight voting margins, has stirred backlash for provisions that allow non-Muslims to serve on Waqf boards—traditionally Muslim religious endowments. Critics argue this undermines religious autonomy and violates constitutional protections.
The court also observed that “undoing the waqf by users” could create serious complications, hinting at the broader implications of interfering with established religious trusts.
The next hearing will further clarify whether the apex court will retain the case or delegate it, and how the government defends what many see as an unprecedented religious intervention.
Supreme Court Questions Centre on Allowing Muslims in Hindu Trusts Amid Waqf Act Row
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