The Supreme Court on Thursday announced that it will hear pleas seeking interim relief against the newly enacted Waqf Act, 2025, on May 20. A bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih directed all parties to submit their written arguments by Monday.
“We will be considering the issue of interim relief only on Tuesday,” Chief Justice Gavai stated, adjourning the hearing to allow judges additional time to review the case documents.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, appeared before the court. The Solicitor General reiterated the Centre’s assurance that no waqf properties, including those designated by usage, would be denotified under the new law.
Additionally, the government had earlier assured that no appointments would be made to the Central Waqf Council or the State Waqf Boards under the provisions of the 2025 Act pending court orders.
The bench clarified that when the matter is taken up on May 20, it will not entertain any petitions seeking a stay on the provisions of the previous Waqf Act, 1995.
The matter was earlier being heard by a bench led by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who retired on May 13, leading to its transfer to the present bench headed by Justice Gavai.
The Centre has firmly defended the Waqf Act, 2025, filing a 1,332-page preliminary affidavit on April 25 through the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The government urged the court to reject the petitions, warning against a “blanket stay” on a law that has the presumption of constitutionality, having been duly passed by Parliament and receiving Presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu on April 5.
