Supreme Court’s Verdict on Waqf Law Encouraging, but Continued Struggle Needed Against This Biased Legislation: Maulana Badruddin Ajmal

Supreme Court’s Verdict on Waqf Law Encouraging, but Continued Struggle Needed Against This Biased Legislation: Maulana Badruddin Ajmal

Mumbai, September 15: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief, former Member of Parliament, and President of Jamiat Ulama Assam, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, has described today’s Supreme Court ruling on the amended Waqf Act as encouraging in the pursuit of justice, while emphasizing the need for continued legal battle against this discriminatory legislation.

Maulana Ajmal said that while Muslims believe the amended Waqf Act is wholly oppressive and biased, and have consistently demanded its complete annulment, the government brought it only with the intention of harassing Muslims and usurping and distributing Waqf properties. “However, for now, the Supreme Court has only examined the validity of certain sections, and today’s decision is indeed a ray of hope for Muslims and for all those who stand for justice,” he noted.

He lauded Muslim organizations—particularly the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, both factions of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, and several Muslim as well as justice-loving leaders—who, through individual and collective efforts, challenged this unjust law in the apex court. “This ruling is the fruit of their determined legal struggle, and they deserve appreciation. Yet, in my view, this is just the first step. We must continue the legal fight to strike down all the discriminatory provisions of this black law,” he stressed.

Highlighting the key aspects of the verdict, Maulana Ajmal said the court has struck down the provision that allowed a government-appointed officer to decide whether a property is Waqf or not—pending whose report the land could be treated as non-Waqf. “This unwarranted power has now been taken away,” he remarked. Similarly, the law had empowered district collectors to declare any property as non-Waqf and transfer it from Waqf records to government records. “The Supreme Court has scrapped this authority too and vested the decision-making solely with Waqf Tribunals and courts,” he explained. According to Ajmal, this was the very tool the government intended to use to seize Waqf lands, but the judiciary has closed that path.

Another significant aspect, he pointed out, is the court’s ruling that out of 20 members of the Central Waqf Council, no more than 4 can be non-Muslims, and in State Waqf Boards, out of 11 members, only up to 3 can be non-Muslims. The court further directed that, as far as possible, the Chief Executive Officer of Waqf Boards should be a Muslim. “In reality, the government was trying to pack the management of Waqf properties with its own appointees to ensure decisions aligned with its interests. The court has now blocked that,” Maulana Ajmal added.

Concluding, he said, “The government has failed on every front, and that is why it continues to bring in such controversial laws—to divert people’s attention and avoid accountability for its failures. It is therefore vital for people of all communities to remain vigilant.”