Supreme Court Calls for Quick Government Response on Waqf Act

The Supreme Court has directed the government to submit its position within a week regarding the challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The court ensured that no waqf properties will be denotified until the next hearing, and recorded the government's assurance of no new appointments in the Waqf councils.

The Supreme Court has mandated the Centre to provide its stance within a week on the legal challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, made this directive after receiving assurances from the Union government regarding the non-denotification of 'waqf by user' or 'waqf by deed' properties until further proceedings.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, confirmed that no new appointments will be made in the central Waqf council and boards in the interim period. The bench stated that any properties registered under the former 1995 Act cannot be denotified before the upcoming hearing on May 5.

The court's direction follows a request from Mehta seeking a week's time to draft a preliminary response to the objections against the freshly-amended waqf legislation. The bench also noted its intention to hear only five petitions on the subject, asking lawyers to independently decide on the presentation of arguments. Petitioners have been given five days post-government response to file their rejoinders.

(With inputs from agencies.)