President Droupadi Murmu Approves Controversial Waqf Bills Amidst Opposition Outcry

President's Approval of Waqf Bills

New Delhi: On Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu granted her approval to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which had been passed by Parliament earlier in the week following intense discussions in both Houses.

Additionally, she also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025.

According to a government notification, "The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, received the president's assent on April 5, 2025, and is hereby published for public knowledge."

The Bill was approved by Parliament early Friday after the Rajya Sabha endorsed the contentious legislation following a lengthy debate lasting over 13 hours.

During the discussions, opposition parties raised strong objections, labeling the Bill as "anti-Muslim" and "unconstitutional," while the government defended it as a "historic reform" aimed at benefiting the minority community.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill with 128 votes in favor and 95 against, while the Lok Sabha approved it early Thursday with 288 members supporting and 232 opposing.

The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill was also approved by Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha giving its consent after the Lok Sabha had already done so.

With the president's approval, the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923 is now repealed.

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi filed a challenge against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Supreme Court, arguing that it violates constitutional provisions.

Jawed's petition claims that the Bill imposes "arbitrary restrictions" on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the religious autonomy of Muslims.

The petition, submitted through advocate Anas Tanwir, asserts that it discriminates against Muslims by imposing restrictions not found in the governance of other religious endowments.

Jawed, representing Kishanganj in Bihar and a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill, alleged that it introduces limitations on the establishment of Waqfs based on the duration of one's religious practice.

In a separate petition, Owaisi argued that the Bill removes various protections previously granted to Waqfs while retaining them for Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religious and charitable endowments.

Owaisi's plea, filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad, states, "This reduction in protections for Waqfs, while maintaining them for other religions, constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and violates articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit religious discrimination."

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has also approached the Supreme Court, contesting the Bill's constitutional validity.

Khan's petition requests that the Bill be declared "unconstitutional and in violation of articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 300-A of the Constitution" and calls for it to be annulled.

The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, an NGO, has similarly challenged the Bill's constitutional validity in the Supreme Court.