Waqf Act: What are the petitions that CJI Sanjiv Khanna-led bench will hear on April 16?

Waqf Act: The Supreme Courtroom’s three-judge bench consisting of CJI Sanjiv Khanna, Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan will hear 10 pleas difficult the Waqf (Modification) Act, 2025 on April 16. This comes after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi filed the lead petition within the matter. It’s listed as merchandise 13, Bar and Bench reported.

Indian Union Muslim League, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, DMK’s A Raja, Muslim clerics physique Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, All India Muslim Private Legislation Board (AIMPLB) and Affiliation for Safety of Civil Rights are among the petitioners.

What do petitions say?

In accordance with Indian Specific, AIMIM’s Owaisi said the act is “manifestly arbitrary, perpetuates discrimination on the grounds of faith, violates the Shariat Act and strips the Muslim neighborhood of the appropriate to handle its personal non secular establishments”.

A PTI report said DMK moved the highest court docket by its common secretary A Raja, which believes, “regardless of widespread opposition, the Waqf Modification Invoice, 2025 was handed by the union authorities with out correct consideration of the objections raised by the members of the JPC and the opposite stakeholders”, including it infringes and prejudices the rights of practically 50 lakh Muslims in Tamil Nadu and 20 crore Muslims within the completely different components of the nation.

The AIMPLB spokesperson, SQR Ilyas, in a press launch, mentioned the petition firmly objected to the amendments handed by Parliament for being “arbitrary, discriminatory and based mostly on exclusion”. It talked about ​the amendments not solely infringe upon the basic rights enshrined in Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Structure but in addition clearly point out the federal government’s intent to imagine full management over the administration of Waqf properties, thereby marginalising the Muslim minority from overseeing their very own non secular endowments.​Articles 25 and 26 of the Structure guarantee freedom of conscience, the appropriate to observe, propagate faith, and the appropriate to arrange and handle establishments for non secular and charitable functions, it additional mentioned.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind additionally filed a petition, alleging it was a “harmful conspiracy” to deprive Muslims of their non secular freedom.

Jamiat in its petition said the regulation was a “direct assault on the nation’s Structure, which not solely supplies equal rights to its residents but in addition grants them full non secular freedom”.

A non secular organisation of Sunni Muslim students and clerics in Kerala, Samastha Kerala Jamiath ul Ulema, believes the act was a “blatant intrusion” into the rights of a non secular denomination to handle its personal affairs within the non secular matter.

NGO Affiliation for the Safety of Civil Rights additionally submitted a petition within the prime court docket difficult the constitutional validity of the Act.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan requested the regulation to be declared as unconstitutional, being violative of “Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Structure”, PTI reported.

The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat within the apex court docket, requesting to be heard earlier than any orders are handed on the pending writ petitions difficult the Waqf (Modification) Act, 2025.

Waqf (Modification) Invoice in parliament

The Waqf (Modification) Invoice got here into drive on April 8, Tuesday after President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to it. The Lok Sabha began the13 hours and 53 minutes debate and noticed 288 members supporting it and 232 opposing it, whereas the higher home had 128 members voting in favour and 95 in opposition to it.

“In train of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of part 1 of the Waqf (Modification) Act, 2025 (14 of 2025), the Central Authorities hereby appoints the eighth day of April, 2025 because the date on which the provisions of the mentioned Act shall come into drive,” the Ministry of Minority Affairs’ notification learn.