New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to entertain fresh petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, remarking that “everybody wants his name in the newspapers.”, reported the Vartha Bharati.
A bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih said that the Court would hear the existing consolidated petitions on May 20, when it is also scheduled to consider interim relief in the matter.
As one of the new pleas came up for hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected, saying there cannot be an “endless” filing of petitions against the Waqf Act. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that his petition had been filed on April 8 and defects were rectified by April 15, yet it had not been listed.
“Everybody wants his name to be in the newspapers,” CJI Gavai remarked, as the bench dismissed the plea. When the counsel requested tagging the plea with existing petitions, the bench declined.
Another similar plea was also summarily dismissed. When the petitioner sought permission to intervene in the pending petitions, the bench remarked, “We already have too many intervenors.”
Earlier, on April 17, the apex court had decided to proceed only with five of the numerous petitions filed. The next hearing on May 20 will focus on three key issues:
1. The power to denotify properties declared as waqf by courts.
2. The composition of state waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council, where petitioners argue that only Muslims should serve, barring ex-officio members.
3. The provision allowing waqf properties to be excluded from waqf status upon inquiry by the collector regarding government ownership.
On April 25, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs submitted a 1,332-page affidavit defending the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, opposing any blanket stay. The Centre had earlier assured the Court that no waqf property, including those declared “waqf by user,” would be denotified, nor would new appointments to waqf boards be made until May 5.
