BJP, Opposition rush to claim victory over Waqf order

"Additionally, only a ‘Muslim’ practising for five years could donate to a Waqf. The intention behind these sections was always apparent -- to keep the voter base inflamed and create an administrative structure to indulge those seeking to foment religious disputes. With this order, the Supreme Court has stayed the powers of the collector; protected existing Waqf properties from dubious challenges and; stayed the provision requiring proof of being a Muslim for five years until such times as rules are framed,” Ramesh added.

"The Supreme Court, in its interim order, reaffirmed its resolve to protect the rights of minorities — a cause for which the Opposition stood united against the Modi government. The BJP had sought to bulldoze a divisive law, designed solely to inflame communal passions and reopen issues that India had long settled. The Congress stands firm in defending the rights of every citizen, without fear or favour, as guaranteed by our Constitution. The BJP, in contrast, thrives on dividing society for narrow electoral gains," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on X.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain also welcomed the interim order, saying: “From the very beginning, I, on behalf of the Congress, had cautioned the government against including the three clauses that have been stayed today. I had pointed out that giving the collector unbridled powers to entertain challenges, making someone prove they are a Muslim for five years (as a precondition for declaring their own property as Waqf), and skewing representation on the Waqf Board were wrong and constitutionally unsustainable. They undermined the autonomy of the Waqf Board and reduced the rights of the community, who are at the end of the day Indian citizens with the same constitutional and fundamental rights as anyone else. They also left the Waqf properties vulnerable to constant challenge by mischievous elements."