The apex court is scheduled to commence hearing today on a series of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act of 1995, along with its subsequent amendments.
A prominent petition in this legal challenge has been filed by advocate Hari Shankar Jain, who contends that several sections of the Act are being improperly utilized by Waqf Boards to illegally seize immovable properties throughout the nation.
Jain, known for his involvement in legal proceedings concerning the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Idgah in Mathura, has specifically targeted six sections of the Waqf Act. The petition asserts that these particular provisions have enabled unauthorized encroachments upon land belonging to Hindu temples, governmental bodies, village council properties, and public amenities, purportedly under the guise of religious endowment.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the petitioner, appealed to a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar to consider this case alongside other related petitions. These connected submissions originate from a wide array of individuals and organizations, including AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, Darul Uloom’s principal Arshad Madani, Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, advocate Taiyyab Khan Salmani, SDPI’s Mohd Shafi, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, and RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha.
This legal matter is anticipated to delve into crucial constitutional and socio-religious issues, as the Supreme Court undertakes a review of the legal structure governing waqf properties and the wider ramifications of their management.