New Delhi:
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill which was passed by both houses of parliament after heated debates.
The new law has been challenged in the Supreme Court by the Congress, AIMIM, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with separate petitions.
The new law seeks to stop favouritism, misuse of Waqf properties, and encroachments upon Waqf assets. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has said the law is not anti-Muslim.
The amendment was introduced after six months of discussions, including the formation of a joint parliamentary committee.
In the Rajya Sabha, the bill was passed with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early on Thursday, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it.
Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan filed the petitions in the Supreme Court. While they gave many reasons for filing the petitions, some common ones include allegations that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill – now an Act – was “discriminatory towards Muslim”, and was a “blatant violation of the fundamental rights of Muslims”.
The new law also faces protests from the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). It announced campaigns and protests across the country, focusing on what it called “countering misinformation” and “promoting peaceful activism”.
The government, however, has maintained that the law will benefit Muslim women and ensure transparency in managing Waqf properties.
Defending the bill, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad told NDTV it would bring transparency by making Waqf boards accountable. Seeking to allay fears that the law would take away Waqf properties, he said no mosque or graveyard is going to be touched.
