Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 17 (ANI): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced protests across Telangana opposing recent amendments to the Waqf Act, describing the changes as “discriminatory” and a violation of fundamental constitutional rights.
In a statement released Saturday, the AIMPLB accused the ruling party of leveraging its majority to push through arbitrary amendments “against the will of millions of Muslims, minorities, and justice-loving citizens of the country.” The Board called the amendments a “conspiracy to usurp and destroy Muslim Waqf properties.”
The statement highlighted that the amendments violate Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 29 of the Constitution, asserting that the government seeks full control over the administration of Waqf properties. The Board claimed the new law strips the Muslim community of the right to independently manage their religious endowments. It also criticized changes in the selection process for members of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, which they say further erode community autonomy.
AIMPLB specifically opposed the new requirement that a wagif (donor) must be a practicing Muslim for at least five years, calling it inconsistent with both Indian constitutional values and Islamic Sharia. The Board pointed out that other religious communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Buddhists—continue to enjoy protections over their religious properties, while Muslims are being denied similar rights.
The Board said it submitted both oral and written objections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), with nearly 50 million Muslims emailing the JPC Chairman rejecting the amendments. However, it alleged these concerns were ignored.
“As a final recourse, we have challenged these amendments in the Supreme Court, and now we are also taking this issue to the court of the people,” the AIMPLB stated.
The Board announced a peaceful, three-month nationwide campaign starting with a statewide protest in Telangana. The campaign will operate within the legal framework and involve religious leaders, political figures, civil society members, and minority groups.
The amendments, known as the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, were tabled in Parliament in early April, passed by both Houses, and received the President’s assent on April 5, becoming law. The Union Government recently filed a preliminary affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking dismissal of petitions challenging the law’s constitutional validity, asserting it does not violate fundamental rights. (ANI)
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