BJP organises awareness campaign for Waqf Amendment Act in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 19 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Madhya Pradesh wing organised a Waqf Amendment Act awareness campaign at its party office in Bhopal on Friday.
A meeting of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Morcha was held under the Waqf Amendment Act awareness campaign in the BJP state office in Bhopal.
The meeting was attended by State President Vishnu Datt Sharma, Minister Vijay Shah, Union Minister of State Savitri Thakur, and office-bearers and workers of the Morcha.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, BJP State President VD Sharma said, "BJP will reach out to society regarding the Waqf law. An awareness campaign will be run for the affected people."
"All the major workers of the state, from district presidents to others, participated in the meeting," he added.
"There are illegal occupations of Waqf on the lands of Scheduled Tribes. The matter is currently in court, and we have presented our case. Workers will try to reach out to the people of the Scheduled Tribes,' Sharma said.
Hitting out at Congress, he said, "If Congress amended the Constitution, it was for what purpose? To impose an Emergency? If BJP amends the Constitution, it will be for the welfare of society and the country."
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament during the budget session of Parliament. The President also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, which has also been passed by the Parliament.
Earlier, the Centre assured the Supreme Court that key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards and provisions on de-notifying Waqf properties, will not be given effect to for some time.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan recorded the assurance given by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to the apex court that, until the next date of hearing, Waqf properties, including 'Waqf by user', which are declared by notification or registered, will not be de-notified.
Furthermore, the Solicitor General assured the court that no appointments will be made to the Waqf Council or Waqf boards.
The Centre also sought additional time to file a response to petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The bench granted a week's time for the Centre to submit a response, and petitioners will be allowed to file their rejoinder within five days thereafter.
The matter has been posted for hearing in the week commencing May 5. "The hearing on the next date will only be for directions and interim orders, if any," the bench added. (ANI)