"Justice will be served": Maulana Khalid Rasheed ahead of SC hearing on Waqf Amendment Act

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 17 (ANI): All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli on Thursday said he was hopeful that justice will be delivered by the Supreme Court as it will resume hearing on the petitions challenging the recently passed Waqf Amendment Act for the second consecutive day.
Speaking to ANI, AIMPLB member said that the Supreme Court made raised concerns about the religious buildings constructed centuries ago.
"We are hopeful that arguments will be heard in the Supreme Court today in relation to the Waqf Amendment Act of 2025. We are hopeful that justice will be served in all the petitions that have been filed. The Supreme Court has said that if this Act is implemented, what will happen to (masjids) buildings constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries...Along with this, what will happen to the freedom of religion granted in Articles 25 and 26 if this Act is implemented? This makes us hopeful that the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution will remain," Rasheed told ANI.
The Supreme Court is likely to pass an interim order on Thursday concerning the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, following petitions filed by multiple parties, both supporting and opposing the contentious legislation.
On Wednesday, following a two-hour-long hearing, the apex court indicated that it may stay certain key provisions of the Act, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, powers of Collectors on deciding disputes over Waqf properties and provisions on de-notifying properties declared as Waqf by courts.
The top court was about to dictate the order, but Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, and other counsels who were appearing for parties defending the Act said they should be heard before passing the interim order.
A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan continues hearing the case at 2 pm today. During the hearing yesterday, the bench had said that it was considering passing an interim order that would balance equities.
"We will say that whichever properties have been declared by the court to be Waqf or held to be Waqf will not be de-notified as Waqfs or be treated as non-Waqf properties, whether they are by Waqf-by-user or waqf-by-declaration or otherwise... declared by courts or otherwise also," the bench had said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that the questions raised by the top court are the same as those that the Congress party raised in the Joint Parliamentary Committee. He asserted that it is the Supreme Court's responsibility to take action if the Constitution is being trampled upon. (ANI)