News Brief
Waqf Amendment Bill Gets President Droupadi Murmu's Assent, Becomes Law
A board of the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board (Representative Image)
President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament after intense debates.
With the President's assent, the bill has now become a law.
Meanwhile, Congress, AIMIM, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have filed separate petitions challenging the law in the Supreme Court.
The amended law aims to curb favouritism, prevent misuse of Waqf properties, and stop encroachments on Waqf assets.
The NDA government has stated that the law is not anti-Muslim.
The amendment followed six months of discussions and included the formation of a joint parliamentary committee.
The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favour and 95 against.
Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan have filed petitions in the Supreme Court against the law.
Their petitions allege that the Waqf (Amendment) Act is "discriminatory towards Muslims" and constitutes a "blatant violation of the fundamental rights of Muslims".
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has also opposed the new law.
The AIMPLB has announced nationwide campaigns and protests, focusing on what it called "countering misinformation" and "promoting peaceful activism".
The government has maintained that the law will benefit Muslim women and bring transparency to the management of Waqf properties.
