New Delhi: Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) president and Tamil Nadu MLA Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah has strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s interim order on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Speaking to Radiance News, he described the judgment as incomplete, claiming it upholds harmful provisions and fails to protect the constitutional rights of Waqf institutions.
Jawahirullah said the BJP-led Union government introduced 44 amendments to the Waqf Act, including 33 insertions, 45 substitutions, and 37 deletions, a total of 115 changes. “The court stayed a few provisions, but the majority of damaging clauses remain untouched,” he said.
He objected to the ruling that permits up to four non-Muslims on the 22-member Central Waqf Council and up to three on 11-member State Waqf Boards. “If outsiders cannot sit on Hindu or Sikh boards, forcing non-Muslims on Waqf Boards is discriminatory,” he argued.
The MMK leader welcomed certain aspects, such as the stay on the five-year rule for creating a Waqf and the court’s clarification that no officer can unilaterally decide eligibility. He also noted as positive the direction that disputed Waqf properties must not be altered until the final verdict.
However, he warned that the court’s observations on “Waqf by User” threaten centuries-old mosques and graveyards sustained through community use. He also criticised the omission of earlier protective clauses like Section 107 and 108, saying this enables hostile state governments to seize Waqf lands.
Calling the law a conspiracy to weaken Waqf, Jawahirullah demanded full repeal. He urged wide participation in the AIMPLB’s campaign, including the November 16 public meeting at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
