"SC upholds Waqf Amendment Act, no change to existing Waqf land status": Andhra Pradesh BJP Chief

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India] April 18 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh BJP President Daggubati Purandeswari addressed the Supreme Court's observations on the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, clarifying the court's stance and the government's position.
Speaking to ANI, Purandeswari said, "... The Court has not struck it down. They said we have no right to strike down the law, so Waqf is a law, and it exists as amended in 2025. And secondly, the only observations made by the Court were that we should not change the status of the land, which we had already clearly stated that we were not doing. Those that have been declared and notified under Waqf remain Waqf. But otherwise, the new land that is going to come in is what we will be looking into..."
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)