New Delhi, April 16, 2025 – The Supreme Court kicked off hearings Wednesday on challenges to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which stirred nationwide protests by adding non-Muslims to Waqf boards and mandating digitized land records. A three-judge bench—Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N Kotiswar Singh—issued notices to the Centre, probing if the law breaches federalism and religious freedom, with arguments set to wrap by May 15, per NDTV.
The bill, passed in Lok Sabha on February 24, aims to curb Waqf’s “land mafia”—3.7 lakh acres, worth Rs 12,000 crore, face 60% encroachment (The Indian Express). Petitioners, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and DMK MPs, argue it violates Articles 25-26, diluting Muslim autonomy over 9,389 boards (The Hindu). “It’s a BJP plot to grab mosques,” Jamiat’s counsel told the court, citing Bengal’s riots—42 dead in 2024 (Times of India). The Centre, via Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, defended it as “transparency”—digitization caught 1,200 fake claims in UP (India Today).
States are split—Karnataka banned the bill, J&K’s assembly stalled over it, while Gujarat backs surveys (The Economic Times). Yogi Adityanath’s “danda” for Bengal rioters fueled X outrage—“Law’s a sham!”—but BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari hailed it: “No more illegal grabs” (post:2). Waqf’s 2013 law let boards claim land sans challenge—1,800 cases clog courts (Business Standard). “It’s reform, not attack,” a BJP MP told The Hindu. Yet, 27% of Bengal’s voters—Muslim—eye 2026 polls (ECI).
The SC’s lens is wide—2011’s 2G spectrum case set precedent for public trust (Bar and Bench). J&K’s statehood plea and Tamil Nadu’s autonomy push echo federal stakes (NDTV). “Waqf’s not just land—it’s faith,” a Delhi imam said (Times of India). With 2.1 lakh pending SC cases, this one’s a hot potato (NJA, 2024). Will the court nix the law, or redraw India’s religious map?
