top of page
Search

Waqf Amendment Act 2025 Sparks National Protests and Local Alarm in Vidarbha

Waqf Amendment Act 2025 Sparks National Protests and Local Alarm in Vidarbha
Waqf Amendment Act 2025 Sparks National Protests and Local Alarm in Vidarbha

The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, has triggered widespread unrest in several parts of India. The law, tabled and passed in the Lok Sabha in March and later cleared by the Rajya Sabha, amends key provisions of the original Waqf Act of 1995.


It grants expanded powers to the Central Waqf Council and allows state governments to override existing decisions by local Waqf Boards.

One of the core features of the new legislation is the introduction of a “Waqf Asset Verification Authority,” chaired by state officials, which has the final say on the classification and management of Waqf properties.


Opposition to the bill has grown steadily since its draft was made public in early February. Muslim organisations such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have publicly condemned the law.



Their criticism centres around three primary objections of the alleged centralisation of authority, the potential for arbitrary removal of Waqf Board members, and the absence of safeguards for minority representation in the newly proposed verification panels.


Protests have broken out in parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

The capital saw a demonstration near Jantar Mantar on 28 April, where members of civil society and religious groups voiced their concern over what they called an “unconstitutional erosion of minority control over religious property.”


In cities like Telangana, protests erupted in Hyderabad's Charminar area, where Waqf properties form a large part of religious, cultural, and community infrastructure. In Karnataka, a candlelight vigil in Shivajinagar drew students, activists, and legal professionals. Maharashtra witnessed demonstrations in Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar and Malegaon, with banners demanding the immediate repeal of the amendment.


Several national political leaders have issued statements. Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from Hyderabad, stated during a Lok Sabha debate that the Act “destroys the autonomous structure envisioned in Article 26 of the Constitution.” Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid called the law “a backdoor attempt to take over community-owned property under bureaucratic control.” Civil rights lawyer Vrinda Grover also remarked during a public event in Delhi that “this is not merely about property; it is about constitutional safeguards.”


The ruling party defended the legislation by arguing that it seeks to eliminate corruption and standardise property management across states.


Minister of Minority Affairs Ramesh Tiwari stated during the Rajya Sabha debate that the Act would “modernise” Waqf administration and allow for “greater public benefit” through commercial leasing of underutilised Waqf land. However, the absence of consultations with stakeholders, particularly in regions with high density of Waqf holdings, has been widely noted.


The law also includes a provision allowing the government to directly lease Waqf land for public infrastructure projects without prior consent from the Waqf Board, provided that “public interest” can be proven. This clause has drawn severe backlash from property trustees who see it as a direct threat to the purpose and sanctity of charitable endowments.


Unease Spreads Across Vidarbha’s Urban Centres


In Vidarbha, concerns around the Act have moved from quiet discontent to visible mobilisation. Cities such as Nagpur, Akola, and Yavatmal, all of which host a significant number of Waqf-managed properties, are now witnessing discussions and demonstrations regarding the local implications of the law.


Nagpur alone houses over 470 registered Waqf properties, according to data obtained from the Maharashtra State Waqf Board’s regional office.

These include graveyards, mosques, madrasas, orphanages, and commercial plots in areas such as Mominpura, Bhandewadi, and Itwari. Since the amendment’s passage, trustees in the city have begun meeting regularly to understand the possible legal impact on their operations. One of the pressing concerns raised is the new rule empowering the state verification authority to overrule trustees on property usage.


Advocate Shakir Jilani, who handles several Waqf-related land cases in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, stated that “the Act introduces provisions that dilute the concept of mutawalli (property manager) autonomy and opens the door to administrative overreach.”

He added that several trust deeds governing Nagpur’s mosques and graveyards are centuries old and would now face reclassification under the new law.



In Akola, where roughly 180 Waqf properties are registered, a community meeting was held at Masjid Kausar in the Tajnapeth area on 2 May.


Over 200 people attended, including local imams, educators, and property caretakers. They signed a joint memorandum addressed to the State Minority Commission demanding that the law be repealed or at least amended to include local stakeholder approval in decision-making.


In Yavatmal, where Waqf holdings are fewer but still significant, particularly in Pusad and Umarkhed, organisations such as the Anjuman Tahafuz-e-Millat have begun awareness campaigns. Posters and leaflets explaining the possible consequences of the new rules have appeared in mosques and madrasa compounds.


One campaign volunteer, Mujtaba Sheikh, mentioned that “most villagers had no idea their mosque land is officially listed under the Waqf board. Now they worry it could be leased off or reallocated.”

These developments are unfolding against the backdrop of increased public interest in property records. Trustees in all three cities reported a rise in community requests to inspect title deeds, demarcation maps, and Waqf registration documents. Some also mentioned the possibility of legal challenges if administrative action begins without due process.



Local Leaders Push Back as Protests Surface

Key Difference in the Old and New Waqf Act
Key Differences in the Old and New Waqf Act

Public dissent in Vidarbha took a visible form on 3 May, when approximately 500 people marched in Nagpur’s Gandhibagh area holding placards that read “Stop Interference in Waqf” and “Preserve Minority Rights.”


Organised by the Maharashtra Muslim Sangharsh Samiti, the rally passed through Itwari and ended with a silent dharna near the Collector’s office. Among the speakers was Maulana Anees ur Rehman Qasmi, who urged authorities to “consult local boards before implementing any new verification or leasing order.”


In Akola, smaller protests took place near Jama Masjid and at the Shastri Nagar Community Hall, where over 100 people gathered to discuss the impact of the amendment.

A petition signed by 137 residents, including shop owners leasing space on Waqf land, was submitted to the local tehsildar.


While protests have remained peaceful, police presence has increased around Friday congregations in select locations.


In Nagpur, the Sakkardara and Tehsil police stations received verbal instructions to “observe and report any communal tension.” In Akola, plainclothes officers were posted near community halls during public meetings.


According to a senior official at the Nagpur Police Control Room, “there have been no incidents, but we are monitoring the situation to prevent misinformation from escalating tensions.”



Statements from local elected leaders have been limited but cautious. MLA Abid Patrawala from Yavatmal West stated during a press interaction on 4 May that “community property rights must be protected, and we are relaying concerns to the state.”


In Nagpur, former corporator Feroz Khan urged the Waqf Board to conduct workshops to clarify the amendment’s implications.

Members of civil society have also begun intervening. Lawyers from the Vidarbha Human Rights Forum have offered free legal consultation to affected trustees in Nagpur and Akola.


Their joint press note said, “The sweeping power granted to a state-appointed authority to override long-standing charitable property structures is legally questionable.”


Meanwhile, no official outreach has taken place from the State Waqf Board or the Minority Welfare Department in the Nagpur Division.


Several trustees interviewed reported that they received no written communication or FAQ sheets to explain how verification or lease provisions would be implemented. Some expressed concern over the arbitrary classification of land as ‘unutilised’ based on outdated land survey records.



Administrative Gaps and Legal Uncertainty Fuel Concern


One of the most debated clauses of the amendment is Section 52B, which empowers the newly created Waqf Asset Verification Authority to recommend commercial use of Waqf land even in cases where the trust deed does not allow it. Trustees in Vidarbha fear this clause could trigger state-level interventions without due recourse.


In several cases, property leases currently under litigation could now be subject to administrative review. For example, the 2018 lease dispute involving a commercial shop complex adjacent to the Azamshah Dargah in Akola, previously stayed by the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court, may now fall under the purview of the new law’s provisions.

Legal experts argue this could disrupt sub judice proceedings.


The lack of clarity on appeal mechanisms has also drawn criticism. Under the earlier Act, decisions made by the Waqf Board could be appealed at a Tribunal.


Under the amended structure, some decisions by the Verification Authority are non-justiciable except in higher courts. In Yavatmal, a group of trustees met with senior advocate Mohd Sameer Rizvi on 1 May to discuss the feasibility of a collective writ petition challenging the new legal framework.


Administrative confusion has been exacerbated by the absence of updated digital records. In Nagpur, the online Waqf Property Management System still lists outdated survey numbers, leading to discrepancies between official records and physical usage of land.



Some mosques are shown on the portal as “open land,” while madrasa buildings have been wrongly marked as “vacant commercial plot.” Trustees say these discrepancies could be used to justify reallocation.


Civil registry staff in Akola confirmed that they have not received any new instructions on how to implement the law, nor have they been trained on the new verification forms expected under the Act.


A local clerk at the District Minorities Welfare Office said, “We only read about the Act in the newspapers. No forms or guidelines have been shared with us.”

The Maharashtra State Waqf Board’s regional officer in Nagpur declined to comment officially but acknowledged that “district-level coordination on the Act’s rollout is yet to begin.”


Legal observers warn that in the absence of proper administrative guidelines, discretionary decisions could replace legal processes, leading to heightened conflict between communities and government bodies.



References




Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating

About the Author

The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

bottom of page