Centre Files Caveat In SC, Seeks Hearing Before Any Order Is Passed On Pleas Challenging Waqf Act 2025

New Delhi: The Central government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting to be heard before any order is passed on the growing number of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. 

Legal sources told PTI that the petitions are expected to come up for hearing before a bench on April 15, although the matter has not yet been reflected on the official Supreme Court website.

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to both the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, on April 5. 

The Centre subsequently notified their enactment in The Gazette of India, bringing both laws into force. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill had cleared both Houses of Parliament during the recently concluded Budget Session, following an intense debate that lasted over 13 hours in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favour and 95 against. A day earlier, it cleared the Lok Sabha with 288 MPs voting in favour and 232 against.

Opposition parties have labelled the legislation as “anti-Muslim” and “unconstitutional.” They argue that it imposes arbitrary restrictions on Waqf properties and undermines the autonomy of Muslim religious institutions.

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have already filed petitions in the Supreme Court, challenging the Act on grounds of religious discrimination. 

According to PTI, more than 10 petitions including those from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, and the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR)—have been filed contesting the law’s validity.

Owaisi’s plea argues that the Act strips Waqf institutions of legal protections enjoyed by other religious endowments, violating Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has filed a separate petition, stating the Act infringes on multiple constitutional rights, including Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 300-A.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has announced plans to challenge the Act as well. Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and party leader Fayaz Ahmed are expected to file a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of the party.