Waqf Act hearing: SC gives Centre 7 days to file response, next hearing on May 5 | Highlights

"I am thankful to the Supreme Court, judges and advocates who rose above religion and helped us in protecting our country. We are satisfied with the decision as the central government said in the court that properties under Waqf-by-user will continue to be there with Waqf, and there will be no interference in the members of the Waqf board. The central government will reply in 7 days. How a DM can be above the court - that provision (from the Act) will certainly be removed. The Waqf board will continue to be there as it is," AAP leader Amanatullah Khan said. 

The CJI said that the writ petitions challenging the Waqf Act of 1995 and its 2013 amendments will be listed separately from this batch. Petitioners who have filed writs in connection with the 2025 matter are free to file their responses as a special case.

CJI said it will entertain only 5 writ petitions and others will be disposed of. The court has appointed a nodal counsel. Advocate Kanu Agarwal has been appointed as the nodal counsel for the centre. The court has asked the other side to appoint the nodal counsel.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the Supreme Court that the government is accountable to the people and has received numerous representations regarding the Waqf issue. He alleged that entire villages and large amounts of land have been declared as Waqf, turning it into a significant legislative matter. Mehta argued that staying the Waqf (Amendment) Act would be a harsh step and requested the court to grant a week’s time to file a preliminary response along with supporting documents, stating that the matter requires detailed consideration.

Supreme Court says it had said there were some positive things in the law and that there cannot be a complete stay in the Act. Supreme Court says it also doesn’t want the situation to change which is prevailing now.

Solicitor General seeks one week time from the court to place some documents and assures that no appointment of Board or Council will take place.

In the Waqf case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, requested the Supreme Court to grant a week’s time to file a preliminary reply along with some supporting materials.

As proceedings resumed, Solicitor General Mehta alleged that village after village had been declared as Waqf.

"The Supreme Court has tried to take the view of the government about the questions that were raised by the petitioners. The petitioners had regularly raised these questions in the JPC and they have already been addressed. They raised objections over non-Muslim members of Waqf Board. Several cases have already been filed over it - Ramjas Foundation vs Union of India. In this case, it has been clearly stated that the Waqf Board is a statutory body. In Karnataka Waqf Board case, it has been declared that this is not a religious body," Jagadambika Pal said. 

The Supreme Court began its second hearing on the petitions against the Waqf Amendment Act. 

The Supreme Court had taken strong note of an analogy drawn by the Centre in support of the inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf boards and the argument that by that logic, a bench of Hindu judges should not be hearing pleas related to waqf. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan was questioning the provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 that allow for the nomination of non-Muslim members to the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards.

Leaders of NDA allies in Bihar slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks against Nitish Kumar for supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in both Houses of Parliament. Addressing a meeting with Muslim religious leaders in Kolkata on Wednesday, Banerjee hit out at key NDA allies Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for keeping mum on the Waqf issue.

The Supreme Court will begin hearing the Waqf matter shortly. No interim order was passed by the court yesterday. The second day of the hearing will begin today at 2 PM. Asaduddin Owaisi has reached the Supreme Court.