Waqf Amendment Act is an Attack on the Constitution, Not a Community: Congress

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, gave the central government seven days to respond to petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The court also stated that no appointments should be made to the Central Waqf Council or boards in the meantime.

Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi told reporters, “What the government calls reform is actually an assault on rights. The Waqf Act is not an administrative step; it is a fundamental ideological attack.”

He claimed, “Under the guise of legal reform, this Act attempts to enforce a policy of 100 percent control. It not only strikes at religious institutions but also crushes the sense of self-determination and autonomy of minorities. It presents government interference as good governance.”

Singhvi stated that the Congress party would not remain silent and would oppose the Act from the streets to Parliament.

He alleged that the Waqf Act is a targeted encroachment and that, under the pretext of administrative efficiency, it tramples established judicial principles.

He added, “No one is saying these rights are limitless. The Constitution also specifies their limits. If you look, these limits have no connection to the Waqf Act.”

Singhvi pointed out that the Act contains no provisions aimed at protecting public legal order, health, or public morality. He noted that Section 11 of the Act stipulates that office-bearers of Waqf boards will be selected by the government, not elected.

He questioned, “If state governments appoint everyone, how will the institution’s autonomy and independence be ensured?”

Congress Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi thanked the Supreme Court for imposing an interim stay on several provisions of the “anti-constitutional” law. He said, “We are confident that we will get further relief in the next hearing. This is not an attack on any community but on the core of the Constitution.”