<p>New Delhi: The amendments to the existing Waqf Act have become the law of the land with President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday giving her assent to the Bill that was passed by Parliament a day ago.</p>.<p>A gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice at 10:51 pm said that the President has given her assent to The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on April 5. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Act, 2025 was also notified.</p>.<p>It also changes the name of the principal act, The Waqf Act, 1995, to 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development' (UMEED) Act, 1995.</p><p>Lok Sabha had passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Thursday early morning while the Rajya Sabha had cleared the contentious legislation on Friday.</p><p>The assent by the President came even as opposition parties like Congress and DMK announced that they would challenge the new law in the Supreme Court, and five Muslim League MPs, including ET Mohd Basheer and Haris Beeran, wrote to the President to withhold her assent or return the Bill to Parliament for reconsideration.</p><p>Amid protests organised in some parts of the country against the Bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress Lok Sabha Whip Mohd Jawed have filed petitions in the apex court against the controversial law.</p><p>The amendments provide for the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Council and Boards, nullifies Sec 40 in Waqf law that provides power to Waqf Boards to declare properties as Waqf and exemption given to Waqf Boards from 12-year limitation period for reclaiming encroached properties and disallowing declaring tribal land and protected monuments as Waqf property.</p><p>The changes in the existing Act also allows state governments to appoint a non-Muslim as CEO of state Waqf Board, and allows people to approach High Courts against Waqf Tribunal decisions. It allows only a person practising Islam for five years to donate property to Waqf.</p><p>Under the new law, properties identified as Waqf by User would remain so if it is not in dispute or identified as government land. It makes it clear that no government properties can be declared Waqf property. </p>.Muslim League MPs urge President Droupadi Murmu to deny assent to Waqf Bill. <p>The Opposition had accused the Narendra Modi government of making changes to the Waqf law to “dilute” Constitution, “defame” and “disenfranchise” minorities and divide the country on religious lines while warning that it will prove to be a “waterloo” for the ruling BJP, which is trying to “hide” its failures”.</p><p>Congress Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi had said, “this bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities.”</p>
<p>New Delhi: The amendments to the existing Waqf Act have become the law of the land with President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday giving her assent to the Bill that was passed by Parliament a day ago.</p>.<p>A gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice at 10:51 pm said that the President has given her assent to The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on April 5. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Act, 2025 was also notified.</p>.<p>It also changes the name of the principal act, The Waqf Act, 1995, to 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development' (UMEED) Act, 1995.</p><p>Lok Sabha had passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Thursday early morning while the Rajya Sabha had cleared the contentious legislation on Friday.</p><p>The assent by the President came even as opposition parties like Congress and DMK announced that they would challenge the new law in the Supreme Court, and five Muslim League MPs, including ET Mohd Basheer and Haris Beeran, wrote to the President to withhold her assent or return the Bill to Parliament for reconsideration.</p><p>Amid protests organised in some parts of the country against the Bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress Lok Sabha Whip Mohd Jawed have filed petitions in the apex court against the controversial law.</p><p>The amendments provide for the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Council and Boards, nullifies Sec 40 in Waqf law that provides power to Waqf Boards to declare properties as Waqf and exemption given to Waqf Boards from 12-year limitation period for reclaiming encroached properties and disallowing declaring tribal land and protected monuments as Waqf property.</p><p>The changes in the existing Act also allows state governments to appoint a non-Muslim as CEO of state Waqf Board, and allows people to approach High Courts against Waqf Tribunal decisions. It allows only a person practising Islam for five years to donate property to Waqf.</p><p>Under the new law, properties identified as Waqf by User would remain so if it is not in dispute or identified as government land. It makes it clear that no government properties can be declared Waqf property. </p>.Muslim League MPs urge President Droupadi Murmu to deny assent to Waqf Bill. <p>The Opposition had accused the Narendra Modi government of making changes to the Waqf law to “dilute” Constitution, “defame” and “disenfranchise” minorities and divide the country on religious lines while warning that it will prove to be a “waterloo” for the ruling BJP, which is trying to “hide” its failures”.</p><p>Congress Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi had said, “this bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities.”</p>
