Supreme Court Stays Denotification of Waqf Properties Amid Legal Battle

The Supreme Court has requested the Center to submit its position on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The government assured that 'waqf by deed' or 'waqf by user' properties won't be denotified until the next hearing. No appointments will be made to the central Waqf board in the meantime.

The Supreme Court has instructed the central government to present its stance within a week regarding the challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. This move follows assurances that properties classified as 'waqf by deed' or 'waqf by user' will not face denotification before the upcoming court session.

A bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, noted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's commitment that no new appointments will be made to the central Waqf council and boards during this period. Mehta assured the court that existing waqf properties, registered under the 1995 Act, will also remain undenotified.

The court's orders came as Mehta requested additional time to respond to the legal challenges against the recent waqf law amendments. The bench indicated it would streamline proceedings by focusing on five key pleas and encouraged coordination among the lawyers involved.

(With inputs from agencies.)