Waqf Act Comes Into Force, Top Court To Hear Pleas Challenging It Next Week

A clutch of petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment bill -- passed by parliament last week -- will be heard by the Supreme Court on April 16. The government, however, has filed a caveat in the top court, in which it said no orders should be passed without hearing its perspective.

So far, 15 petitions have been filed on the contentious bill to which the Opposition and sections of the Muslim community had expressed multiple objections.

Most of these were expressed during the marathon 12-plus hour debate on the bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and Thursday last week. The bill has since been signed by the President and has come into force. 

The contentious provisions in the amended law include mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards. 

There is also the stipulation that individuals who practiced Islam for at least five years only can donate properties to Waqf. 

Also, under the proposed law, government property identified as Waqf will cease to belong to it and the local Collector will determine its ownership.

The government has repeatedly underscored that the law is about property and its management, not religion. The Waqf bill, the BJP had declared, was developed after consulting a large section of people and it has received the support of non-Muslim minorities.

This, it insisted, is because of the largescale irregularities that did not allow Waqf property to benefit women and children, which the amended law would do. 

The huge lands and properties have been taken over by Waqf, aided by the Congress's appeasement politics, it has alleged.