"Tight slap to Union Government": Congress MP Chamala on SC's observation on Waqf

New Delhi [India], April 18 (ANI): Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court's interim directions on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, describing them as a stern rebuke to the Union Government.
Speaking to ANI, Chamala said, "The Supreme Court has given a tight slap to the Union Government by directing that there will be no non-Muslim member in the Board until the next hearing and at the same time, there will be status quo on the status of the properties... We welcome the Supreme Court's decision today."
Separately, reacting to Telangana leader KT Rama Rao's remarks on the National Herald case, Chamala dismissed the comparison as "immature".
"KTR must understand that the comparison doesn't get Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi involved. The National Herald case has been ongoing for a long time. The company they floated didn't conduct any financial transactions. ED included their names only due to pressure from the BJP. KTR's comparison is immature," he claimed.
Meanwhile, the Supreme court, while hearing multiple petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on Thursday, recorded assurances from the Solicitor General, representing the Centre, that no appointments would be made to the Waqf Boards or Councils, and Waqf properties will not be de-notified until the next hearing.
Earlier on Thursday, the SC took note of the Solicitor General's assurance that no appointments to the Waqf Board or Council will be made until the next hearing. The court also stated that existing Waqf properties, including those registered by the user or declared through notification, will not be identified.
The Solicitor General said that the Waqf Act is a considered piece of legislation and that the Centre has received a large number of representations regarding the classification of land as Waqf. He added that staying the entire Act would be a severe step and sought one week to submit a reply.
The Supreme Court stated that it had earlier noted some aspects of the legislation as positive and reiterated that there can be no complete stay of the Act at this stage. The court also said that it does not want the current status to be altered while the matter is under its consideration.
The bench reiterated that the objective is to maintain the existing situation without changes while the matter remains under judicial review.
Several petitions were filed in the apex court challenging the Act, contending that it was discriminatory towards the Muslim community and violated their fundamental rights.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on April 5, following its passage by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses. (ANI)