Will not make non-Muslim appointments, refrain from denotifying waqf properties till next hearing, Centre to SC

The Central government on Thursday (April 17) assured the three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court- Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan - that non-Muslim appointments would not be made to the Central Waqf Council or the State Waqf Boards in the interim. The Centre also said that provisions on de-notifying properties declared as waqf by courts will not be acted upon for the time being.

The three-judge Bench hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was also assured by the government that it would refrain from denotifying properties previously declared as waqf by courts until the matter is next heard on May 5.

The apex court granted the Centre a week to file its reply over the petitions challenging the validity of the Waqf Amendment Act, after which the petitioners will be granted five days to review the reply.

According to the petitioners, the waqfs — including their creation, management, and administration are an integral practice of Islam and therefore should be protected under the constitution.

However, the government argues that the amendments are aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accountability.

The  Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was passed in the Lok Sabha on April 3, while the Rajya Sabha cleared it on April 4. On April 5 the amendment Act received Presidential assent.

The new law amended the Waqf Act, 1995, in order to address the regulation of Waqf properties, particularly those dedicated for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law.