The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced its plans to protest the Waqf Amendment Act, following an interim decision by the Supreme Court. The Board is unhappy with the Supreme Court’s interim ruling regarding the Act.
The Muslim Personal Law Board has declared that they will hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on September 24th, which will include giving themselves up for arrest. The Board has also appealed to Muslims, requesting that all Muslim-owned offices and shops remain closed from 8 am to 2 pm on September 26th.
Furthermore, the Board has urged Muslims to display signs that express opposition to the Waqf Amendment Act. A large rally will take place at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 16th. The Board will also organize घेराव (gherao – siege) of Governor Houses across various states. Appeals have been issued throughout the country encouraging Muslims to participate in these protests. A march to Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) is also being planned to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act, with the date to be announced later.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act-2025 came into effect after being passed by Parliament and receiving the President’s approval. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition challenging the Act, and recently issued an interim decision. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) stated that there was no basis for staying the entire Waqf (Amendment) Act, but some provisions have been stayed.
The two-judge bench, led by CJI BR Gavai, issued a temporary stay on specific provisions during the hearing of five petitions against the Waqf Act.
The Waqf law includes a provision stating that only those who have practiced Islam for five years can donate property to Waqf, as per Section 3 (r) of the law. The court has stayed this provision. This stay will remain in effect until states establish a process for determining a person’s religious identity.
The court has also put a hold on the provision in Section 3C of the Waqf (Amendment) Act-2025, stating that a property cannot be considered Waqf until a collector confirms there are no encroachments in the Waqf declaration.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 allows for the inclusion of non-Muslims on the 11-member Waqf Board. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that no more than three non-Muslim members may be appointed. The court did not stay Section 23 of the Waqf Act, which covers the appointment of ex-officio members (CEOs) to Waqf Boards. The court stated that, where possible, a Muslim should be appointed to this position.