After AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi moved the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, strongly supported the move, saying the court is the only option left when Parliament turns a blind eye. “The Supreme Court defines the Constitution and there is nothing above the Constitution... When the streets become empty and the House becomes deaf and dumb, there is no option left except the Supreme Court... When you violate the Constitution, anyone can go to the Supreme Court,” Yadav told ANI.
Owaisi, in his petition, contended that the new amendment “irreversibly dilutes” the statutory protections provided to Waqfs and undermines their regulatory framework, giving “undue advantage” to other stakeholders and reversing decades of progress in Waqf property management. His plea states that “the Amendment Bill also takes away from Waqfs various protections which were accorded to Waqfs and Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike. This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and violates Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion.”
Congress Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Jawed has also moved the Supreme Court against the bill, becoming the second Parliamentarian to legally contest the legislation. The bill was passed following intense late-night debates in both Houses. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced, “Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed.” The Lok Sabha, too, cleared it after midnight on Wednesday with 288 MPs voting in favour and 232 against it.
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee that examined the original legislation brought in August last year. It seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India, including changes to enhance registration processes, boost transparency, and introduce technological tools for better oversight. However, critics argue that the revised bill threatens the autonomy and rights of Waqf boards while disproportionately affecting the Muslim community.
