New Delhi: The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has demanded the immediate repeal of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, describing it as unconstitutional and discriminatory. The alliance urged the Supreme Court to strike it down, warning that the law undermines minority rights and disenfranchises Muslims.
In a statement, NAPM said the Act, passed in April with support from JD(U) and TDP, was “a clear attempt to disenfranchise the Muslim community.” Despite several petitions challenging its validity, the Union government notified the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025 (UMEED) in July.
The group highlighted several controversial provisions. Disputed properties will now be deemed non-Waqf until cleared by the District Collector, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. The legally recognized concept of “Waqf by user” has been scrapped, placing lakhs of properties at risk. Waqf Boards must now include non-Muslim members, which critics see as interference in community affairs. Additionally, only Muslims practicing for at least five years are permitted to dedicate property as Waqf, limiting traditional practices.
According to official data, India has 8.7 lakh Waqf properties, nearly half falling under “waqf by user.” Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 15 percent of these. Activists fear the new rules will allow governments, particularly in BJP-ruled states, to claim disputed Waqf land.
NAPM accused the government of misleading the public by portraying the law as a reform for Muslim welfare. It said such claims ring hollow given the ruling party’s history of targeting minorities. The alliance linked the amendment to a broader pattern of policies, including the Citizenship Amendment Act, so-called “anti-conversion” laws, and the bulldozer demolitions of Muslim homes.
Calling the Act unconstitutional and discriminatory, NAPM vowed to mobilize with other progressive movements to defend India’s pluralism and resist legal and extra-legal assaults on Muslim rights.
Abdul Bari Masoud
