UP Police Issues Notices to 300 for Protesting Waqf (Amendment) Act in Muzaffarnagar

Uttar Pradesh: In a significant crackdown, police authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district issued notices to 300 people for allegedly protesting against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 by wearing black badges during Friday prayers in mosques. The protesters have been asked to furnish personal bonds of ₹2 lakh each, a senior police official confirmed on Sunday.

The number of notices, which initially stood at 24 until Saturday, sharply rose after police examined CCTV footage from multiple locations, according to Superintendent of Police (City) Satyanarayan Prajapat.

“Notices were served to 300 people after identifying them through CCTV footage,” Prajapat said.

The black badge protest was staged during Jumma namaz (Friday prayers) to express discontent over the newly passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

Why the Protest?

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which was passed recently in Parliament, has triggered opposition in some quarters, especially in parts of Uttar Pradesh. 

The act aims to revise administrative control and usage guidelines for Waqf properties across the country.

However, protesters claimed that the amendments dilute community rights over Waqf properties and reduce transparency. 

The act’s implications have sparked concern, particularly among clerics and community leaders.

Also Read: What Did UP Minister Say on Renaming Shahjahan Garden After Ahilyabai Holkar?

Government Defends the Move

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju defended the bill, calling the backlash a result of misunderstanding.

“Those who did not understand (the Bill) are unhappy. Keeping politics aside, the people who understand the amendments made by us in the bill will know it is going to benefit the poor, Muslims, women and people from backward communities in the next 2–3 years,” Rijiju said.

The central government has maintained that the amendment will streamline Waqf management, eliminate corruption, and open up greater access to underprivileged communities.

Legal Steps Under Way

The police, under preventive sections of the Criminal Procedure Code, asked the identified protesters to sign bonds of good behaviour worth ₹2 lakh each, stating that any future disruption could lead to legal consequences and forfeiture of the bond amount.

Officials added that the action was preventive, not punitive, and aimed at avoiding further unrest over the issue.

Meanwhile, local residents and community representatives have begun to raise questions about the scale of the police response, with some calling it “excessive” and “intimidating.”