"This law will definitely not stand in SC": Congress leader Ajay Rai on Waqf Amendment Act

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 17 (ANI): Reacting to the Supreme Court's comments after hearing the petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Thursday said that the top court will reject this law.
"This is a law brought in haste, and the objections raised by the opposition were not taken into account. They only listened to the ruling party. I hope that this law will definitely not stand in the Supreme Court and will be rejected," Rai told ANI.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court 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)