New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has approached the Supreme Court seeking suspension of the Union government’s recently launched ‘Umeed Portal’, arguing that it undermines ongoing challenges to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
In its writ petition, the Board urged the Court to either ban the portal or direct the government to withdraw the notification mandating its use until the constitutional validity of the Act is decided.
AIMPLB national spokesperson Dr. SQR Ilyas said that despite repeated appeals, the government launched the portal on June 6, making online registration of waqf properties compulsory.
The petition contends that the portal exerts “illegal pressure” on mutawallis (managers of waqf properties) and risks prejudicing reliefs sought in pending cases. “The Act itself is under review by the Supreme Court. Launching the portal at this stage is both illegal and an act of contempt,” Dr. Ilyas stated.
The Board further pointed out that several stakeholders, including Muslim organisations, political parties, civil society groups, and even Sikh and Christian bodies have opposed the 2025 law. It argued that operationalising the portal before judicial scrutiny concludes is unconstitutional and premature. Alongside the legal action, the AIMPLB has also called for a symbolic protest on Wednesday, urging citizens to switch off lights for 15 minutes at 9 pm.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, after receiving presidential assent, has triggered over 65 petitions in the Supreme Court challenging its validity. Petitioners include leaders across political parties and religious bodies among them AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan, Arshad Madani (Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind), Congress leaders Imran Masood and Udit Raj, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha, TMC’s Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim, IUML, the CPI, Shia cleric Syed Kalbe Jawad Naqvi, Anjuman-E-Islam, and rights groups like the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights.
Conversely, six states, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Assam have filed in support of the Act.
The first hearing took place on April 16, 2025, before a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna with Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan.
The bench recorded government assurances that no waqfs would be denotified and no fresh appointments would be made to the Waqf Council or Boards until further orders.
Later, after CJI Khanna’s recusal, the matter was placed before a reconstituted bench led by CJI BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih.
On May 20, 2025, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal opened arguments for the petitioners, asserting that the amendment seeks to “capture the waqf through an act that is not judicial.” He warned that abolishing waqf by user, retrospectively denotifying properties, and imposing arbitrary conditions would cause irreparable harm.
Supporting him, Senior Advocates Rajeev Dhavan, AM Singhvi, CU Singh, and Huzefa Ahmadi argued that more than half of waqf properties in India are waqf by user and risk invalidation. They also objected to the dilution of Muslim representation in Waqf Boards and the absence of remedies against denotification.
On May 21, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, defending the law, countered that the amendments were based on extensive consultation and that unregistered waqfs were “fictitious claims.”
He argued that creating a waqf is not an essential religious practice and that Waqf Boards perform secular functions, justifying the inclusion of non-Muslim members. He further maintained that safeguards through tribunals and appellate courts remain intact.
On May 22, the Supreme Court reserved orders on interim relief in the batch of petitions, which challenge the wide-ranging provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025.
UNI
