New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday voiced strong support for the public’s legal challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, asserting that justice will be served as the matter reaches the Supreme Court.
“When the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it moved forward as part of the process. Now the public will decide on this,” Sinha told reporters. “People have approached the Supreme Court regarding this matter. So this is the beginning of the matter, not the end. I hope that our people will get justice from the Supreme Court.”
Sinha’s remarks come amid a growing political storm over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has already sparked legal petitions from several opposition leaders. Among them are AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MP Mohammed Jawed, and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, all of whom have challenged the law’s constitutionality.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, received presidential assent on April 5, alongside the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. Notifications from the Law Ministry confirmed that both bills—passed during the Budget session of Parliament—have now become law.
The bill cleared the Lok Sabha with 288 votes in favour and 232 against, and was later passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 ayes and 95 nays.
According to the government, the amended legislation aims to modernize the management of Waqf properties, boost efficiency in surveys and registrations, and bring in technological interventions to ensure better governance. The bill also repeals the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923, consolidating all regulations under a streamlined legal framework.
Originally introduced in August 2024, the bill was reworked based on suggestions by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It now amends the Waqf Act of 1995, with key changes focused on accountability, transparency, and technological integration in Waqf Board operations.
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