SC slams violence over Waqf bill as hearing continues today

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its concern over violence taking place amid protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

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"One thing that is very disturbing is the violence which is taking place. Once the matter is before court, it should not happen," a bench headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna remarked.

The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, fixed the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments introduced in the Waqf Act, 1995, for further hearing on Thursday at 2:00 pm, including the arguments of the Union government on passing of an interim order.

During the course of the hearing, the apex court indicated that it would pass an interim order providing that the properties already declared as waqf by court order or otherwise will not be denotified by virtue of the recent amendment.

It proposed that provision of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, providing that a waqf property would not be treated as a waqf while the Collector is conducting an inquiry on the aspect if the property is a government land, should not be given effect to. Further, the CJI-led Bench said that it intends to pass an interim order providing that all members of the waqf boards and Central Waqf Council, except the ex-officio members, should be Muslims.