Cong MP, AIMIM chief Owaisi move SC over ‘arbitrary’ Waqf Bill

Hours after Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday separately moved the Supreme Court challenging its validity on the ground that it violated constitutional provisions.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill with 128 votes in favour and 95 against, a day after the Lok Sabha approved it with 288 votes supporting and 232 opposing. The Bill now awaits President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to become law.

The amended legislation mandates that only self-owned resources can be declared as Waqf (Islamic endowments), ensuring the inheritance rights of women and children. It also requires district collectors (DCs) to verify ownership before accepting any land donation by a Muslim.

Jawed, a Lok Sabha MP from Kishanganj in Bihar and a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill, alleged it imposed “arbitrary restrictions” on Waqf properties, undermining the religious autonomy of the Muslim community. He argued the law discriminated against Muslims by enforcing rules not applied to other religious endowments.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in a separate petition, contended that the Bill stripped away protections previously granted to Waqfs while retaining them for Hindu, Jain and Sikh religious trusts. He called it a violation of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit religion-based discrimination.

Meanwhile, protests erupted in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Imphal where demonstrators denounced the Bill as “communal and unconstitutional”.