In a significant move that underscores the escalating tensions surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, the Manipur Congress has officially filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the legislation. The petition, lodged on April 15th, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing dispute, as the state’s political landscape grapples with the Act’s implications.
The legal challenge follows earlier pronouncements by Congress Legislature party leader and former three-time Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who publicly denounced the Act as “unconstitutional.” Singh had vowed that the Manipur Congress would contest the legislation at the highest judicial level, a promise now fulfilled with the filing of the Supreme Court petition.
Congress spokesperson Rabi Khan, speaking from New Delhi, confirmed the development, stating, “Manipur Congress working president Md Fajur Rahim and former MLA Md Amin Shah today filed a case before the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.” Khan further expressed optimism regarding the case’s swift progression, adding, “We hope the case will be heard on Wednesday and the apex court will quash the Act.”
The core of the Congress’s opposition, as articulated by Ibobi Singh, centers on the assertion that the Act represents a fundamental breach of India’s secular principles. “We are totally opposed to this Act. India is a secular nation but the present NDA government is attacking Muslims and other minorities. The Waqf (Amendment) Act is a gross violation of the Constitution and it will not be accepted,” Singh emphasized.
The Act, intended to modernize the administration of Waqf properties, aiming to protect heritage sites and enhance social welfare, has ignited widespread unrest in Manipur. The intensity of public dissent was starkly illustrated by the arson attack on the residence of Md Asker Ali, the BJP Minority Morcha’s state president, following his initial endorsement of the Act. Ali subsequently retracted his statement.
In the aftermath of the incident, authorities imposed prohibitory orders in the Lilong assembly constituency, the site of the arson, and reinforced security measures in Muslim-dominated areas within the Imphal Valley, reflecting the heightened sensitivity surrounding the Act’s implementation.