Anwarulhaq Baig
New Delhi: Post Pahalgam attack, now All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) is making all efforts to its anti Waqf Amendment Act 2025 momentum back on the track, by calling citizens to switch off lights in their homes, shops, offices, factories, and other places from 9:00 PM to 9:15 PM in a symbolic gesture of protest. The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, cast a shadow over the growing momentum of the AIMPLB’s nationwide movement against contentious waqf Amendments.
The momentum had gained significant traction following the historic ‘Save Waqf Conference’ held at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium, where thousands gathered in support. The event saw unprecedented unity, with leaders and representatives from Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and Dalit communities, along with MPs from nearly all opposition parties, pledging full support to AIMPLB’s movement until the repeal of this controversial act.
In a gesture of solidarity and compassion, the AIMPLB announced a three-day postponement of its upcoming protests to honour the victims of the Pahalgam attack.
Meanwhile, on April 25, the Union government submitted its counter affidavit in the Supreme Court, urging the court not to grant any interim stay on any clause or section of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025.
Emphasising that their peaceful protests against the act will continue nationwide as per the Board’s directives, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Mohammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi clarified, “This protest activity is not one of fear, but a powerful expression of awareness, unity, and determination in the fight for justice.”
Delhi Waqf Conference: Leaders from Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Dalit communities, along with MPs from across party lines vow to fight against Waqf Act ‘Till Last Breath’
Attended by thousands and endorsed by religious and political leaders across faiths and ideologies, the conference at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium marked a pivotal moment in country’s debate over religious freedom, constitutional rights, and minority protection.
Presiding over the conference, AIMPLB President Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani set the tone for what is likely to be a long legal and moral battle, and he issued a strong yet symbolic warning, stating that while Muslims have come in sherwanis today, they are prepared to come in shrouds tomorrow if necessary. His address was loaded with symbolism and resolve. “Today we wear watches, but we won’t hesitate to wear handcuffs if it comes to that,” he said, emphasizing unwavering resistance but within the bounds of peace and legality.
He said, “We’ve held protests across the country from Delhi to Kerala — all peaceful, barring one exception in Murshidabad. Protest is our democratic right, but maintaining peace is our duty.”
Maulana Saifullah Rahmani’s words were not just rhetoric but a roadmap. He urged Muslims to engage beyond their community. “Reach out to at least four non-Muslim fellow citizens to explain the true nature of the Waqf Act amendments,” he said, stressing, “There is no concept of majority or minority in Islam.” His critique of the Act was sharp and pointed: “Show us a single clause that helps the poor. Waqf institutions — mosques, madrasas, graveyards — have always served the underprivileged.”
By exposing provisions like the application of the Limitation Act and ASI’s new powers to deregister religious properties from Waqf, Khalid Saifullah Rahmani painted the amendments as legal mechanisms enabling dispossession. His message was clear, ‘this is not merely a legal matter but an existential one.’
“UMEED Is the Final Nail in the Coffin of Injustice”: JIH president Sadatullah Husaini Redefines Govt Narrative
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind President and AIMPLB Vice President Syed Sadatullah Husaini delivered perhaps the most damning indictment of the law’s moral and constitutional standing. “The government aimed to sow discord, but this law has brought Hindus and Muslims closer,” he said. In a masterstroke of political messaging, Syed Sadatullah Husaini redefined the acronym ‘UMEED’, officially used to brand the amendment, into:
U – Unconstitutional, violating Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 29, M – Manipulation, misleading the public, E – Exclusion, marginalizing Muslims, E – Encroachment, infringing on state and minority rights, D – Division, pushing communal agendas.
Echoing the Quranic verse, “They plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners,” Husaini emphasized that divine justice would prevail. His strategy-oriented slogan “WAQF” (Wake up, Action, Question, Fix the Narrative) encapsulated the tactical shift the movement is undergoing — from protest to organized public education.
Board’s spokesman Dr. Ilyas Announces 3-month roadmap for Nationwide Protests
The Board’s spokesman, Dr. SQR Ilyas, laid out a clear three-month roadmap for the protest movement. “This is not just a Muslim issue, it’s a fight for all communities’ constitutional rights,” he said, unveiling plans for symbolic protests like a lights-out event on April 30 and a final mass gathering at Ramlila Ground.
Dr. Ilyas didn’t shy away from blaming the BJP government directly. “Since 2014, the Muslim community has been systematically targeted,” he said, citing the closure of over 8,000 madrassas in UP and new attacks on Islamic institutions and implementing of UCC in Uttarakhand. In doing so, he reframed the Waqf Act as part of a larger campaign against religious autonomy.
Owaisi: “This Act Doesn’t Recover Waqf Lands — It Legalizes the Land Grab”
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi offered a legalistic but fiery takedown of the BJP’s pro-Amendment booklet, branding it “a bunch of lies.” He ridiculed the claim that 70% of Waqf lands are encroached, calling the amendment an irony: “This Act doesn’t recover Waqf lands, it protects land grabbers.”
Owaisi invoked global Islamic tradition of endowments, “Whether it’s a democracy or a kingdom, Waqf exists in all Muslim nations.” His taunt to PM Modi , “Ask Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman if Waqf exists” hit hard. With his characteristic wit, he added, “In Saudi Arabia, Modi hugs the Saudi Crown Prince with ‘Ya Habibi,’ but here in India, he sees Muslims by the colour of their clothes.”
Ajmer Dargah, Jamiat, Shia chiefs : “It’s a Religious and Constitutional Fight”
Chief priest of Ajmer Dargah Maulana Sarwar Chishti took an even bolder tone, he said, “God is with us,” and called on the faithful to resist without fear. Chishti declared full support of Ajmer Dargah’s genuine officials for the AIMPLB’s stand against the Act. He targeted Muslim supporters of the Act on TV debates, labelling them “government stooges and traitors.”
Prominent Shia leader and AIMPLB Vice President Maulana Kalbe Jawwad brought a legal lens to the debate. “We see numerous temples in police stations and public offices , the Constitution prohibits this.” He called for offensive legal action demanding parity across faiths. He urged lawyers especially Barrister Owaisi to initiate petitions in the court, demanding to allow to set up worship places of other religions too in such govt offices.
Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, in a message read out during the conference, made a poignant point, “Protecting Waqf is our religious duty. This Act must be entirely rejected if we are to uphold the Constitution.”
AIMPLB Vice President and President of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Maulana Azghar Imam Mahdi reiterated unwavering support for the Board.
Milli Council of India President Maulana Abdullah Mughesi in a message read by his son Abdul Malik Mughesi, urged focus on both legal and practical efforts, and called for collective prayer and perseverance.
Christian, Dalit, and Sikh Leaders Reject Sectarian Framing of the Act
AC Michael, prominent Christian leader and member of the Catholic Church in Delhi, firmly rejected claims made in Parliament that the Christian community supports the Waqf Act amendments, following a letter from a Kerala bishop cited by the government.
Speaking at the “Waqf Bachao Sammelan,” Michael clarified that over 98% of Christians do not endorse the Act and stand with the AIMPLB in its opposition. He added, with irony, that even the Kerala bishop who supported the Act was later told by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju that he would have to go to court if he wished to claim Waqf land as the act would not help him.
Highlighting the contradiction in the government’s approach, Michael remarked, “On one hand, the Prime Minister hosts Christians for Christmas dinner. On the other, churches are being burned, and nearly two Christians are killed daily in the country.” He pointed to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as the most affected states for Christians facing persecution.
Issuing a passionate appeal, Michael warned that today’s targeting of minorities could extend to other communities tomorrow. “This government must be democratically removed from power to protect India’s secular fabric,” he said.
Noted Sikh leader Sardar Dayal Singh declared the Sikh community’s full backing of AIMPLB, calling the Waqf Act a threat to minority rights. Akali Dal MPs too voted against the act in the parliament. Emphasizing that the issue goes beyond the Muslim community, he said, “This is not just a fight for Muslims — it is a fight for all minorities”.
He also revealed that he has filed a petition challenging the Waqf Act through senior advocates Rajeev Dhawan and Sanjay Hegde.
Political Leaders Across Party Lines Pledge Full Support
In an increasingly polarized Parliament, the AIMPLB found unlikely unity. RJD MP Manoj Jha, SP MPs Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi and Dharendra Yadav, Socialist Party’s Ram Bakhsh Verma, SDPI’s Mohammad Shafi, and Indian League’s Prof. Sulaiman all declared support.
Socialist Party of India leader Ram Bakhsh Verma called on voters to reduce the BJP from 240 seats to under 40 in the next elections, calling the Act anti-constitutional and communal.
SDPI Secretary Mohammad Shafi pledged full support for any AIMPLB call to launch a Jail Bharo Andolan, citing the recent arrest of his party’s general secretary, Mohammad Sharif, for protesting the Act. “We won’t let Gandhi’s India turn into Godse’s India,” he declared.
Indian League president Prof. Sulaiman summed up the sentiment: “This is not just a Muslim issue, it’s the nation vs fascism.”
Former MP Mohammad Adeeb, perhaps captured the raw energy of the movement best: “They want our land, but we won’t let it happen. We’ll fight till the end.”
With the Supreme Court set to hear challenges to the Act on May 5, and a wave of planned protests and public engagement underway, the battle lines are drawn. The conference’s unifying cry — till our last breath — signals that this fight, deeply constitutional and profoundly spiritual, has only just begun.