New Delhi: The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction) has strongly denounced the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, calling it unconstitutional, anti-democratic, and a tool of majoritarian control. Speaking after a crucial Working Committee meeting on April 13, Jamiat President Maulana Mahmood Madani accused the BJP-led government of spreading misinformation about waqf institutions and attempting to stifle peaceful dissent.
“The new waqf law neither serves the community nor the nation,” Maulana Madani said at a press conference in the national capital. He alleged that the government, through media propaganda, is portraying Waqf Boards as entities dominated by Muslims when in reality, these boards are constituted by governments, not the Muslim community. “How can they claim the law protects waqf property, when they’ve removed criminal provisions, making it easier for land-grabbers to encroach?” he asked.
Referring to the violence during the Murshidabad protests, Madani held the government responsible for provocation. “Wearing black bands in protest is being criminalized. This is no longer just about waqf this is about democracy vs dictatorship,” he stated, reiterating that all protests by Jamiat will remain peaceful and within constitutional limits.
A resolution passed by the Working Committee unequivocally rejected the Waqf (Amendment) Act, calling it a violation of constitutional provisions such as Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, and 300-A. It raised alarm over the abolition of “waqf by user,” which threatens over 400,000 religious sites recognized historically as waqf property.
The committee also condemned the growing dominance of non-Muslims in waqf bodies as a breach of Article 26, which guarantees religious groups the right to manage their own affairs. “This law is a symbol of majoritarian domination. We will never accept this,” the resolution affirmed.
The meeting expressed broader concerns over a pattern of state actions targeting the Muslim community. These include:
• Madrasas under Attack: The Uttarakhand government’s sealing of madrasas was labeled a direct violation of Article 30. Jamiat demanded their immediate reopening and threatened legal action if the order is not reversed.
• Uniform Civil Code (UCC): The implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand was described as a threat to India’s pluralism. “This is not only a Muslim issue. It affects all religious and cultural communities. Tampering with Muslim Personal Law, rooted in divine commandments, is unacceptable,” the resolution stated.
• Demolitions as Punishment: The committee decried the unlawful use of bulldozers to target marginalized communities, bypassing due process and Supreme Court guidelines.
• Islamophobia and Misinformation: The government and communal forces were accused of running false campaigns against waqf institutions. Jamiat vowed to counter this narrative and present the facts to the nation.
On international matters, the committee expressed grave concern over Israeli atrocities in Gaza, describing them as war crimes. It called on the Indian government to intervene diplomatically, ensure a ceasefire, and facilitate urgent humanitarian aid.
Reaffirming the community’s right to peaceful protest, the committee warned against any attempt to criminalize dissent. “Suppressing protest is unconstitutional. Violence during demonstrations whether by state or protestors is unacceptable, as it weakens the cause of justice,” the resolution concluded.
Jamiat emphasized that any reform to waqf laws must serve administrative improvement, not ideological agendas. “Waqf is a religious act of worship rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah. No government has the right to alter its religious nature,” Maulana Madani asserted.
COMMENTS