Waqf Amendment Act SC Hearing LIVE Updates: No Board Appointments, No Change In Waqf Properties Till Next Hearing, Rules SC

Supreme Court takes on record the statement of Solicitor General that the Centre will respond within seven days. SC says, Solicitor General assures the court that no appointments will be made to the Council and Board.

Supreme Court says Solicitor General assures that till the next date of hearing, Waqf, including Waqf-by-user already registered or declared by way of notification, shall neither be denotified nor will the Collector change. Supreme Court says let the response be filed by the Centre within seven days.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought one week's time from the top court to place some documents. He also assured the court that no appointments in Waqf Boards or Councils will take place. Solicitor General said that if any state makes any appointment in the Boards or Councils till the court decides the case, it will be treated as void.

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, today asked the court whether it is considering putting a stay on several provisions of the Waqf Act directly or indirectly. "I want to say something with respect and concern. This court is considering stay directly or indirectly which is rare," he said.

"We received lakhs and lakhs of representation. Villages and Villages are taken as waqf. So much land is claimed as waqf. This court may hear it.. but.. this question needs assistance. A large number of people has questions on their property etc," Mehta said.

The Supreme Court begins to hear a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. This is the second consecutive day when the top court is hearing the matter. Over 70 petitions have been filed against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

“Waqf by user” refers to the recognition of a property as a religious or charitable endowment (waqf) due to its continuous and long-standing use for religious or charitable purposes. This designation can be made even in the absence of a formal or written declaration of waqf by the property’s owner.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the top court asked the Centre whether it will allow Muslims in the Hindu endowment boards, overseeing religious trusts in India. The top court also asked the Centre if Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts. "The properties declared by courts as waqf should not be de-notified as waqf, whether they are by waqf-by-user or waqf by deed, while the court is hearing the challenge to the Waqf Amendment Act 2025," the bench said.

The top court also said, "All Members of the Waqf boards and central Waqf Council must be Muslims, except the ex-officio members." The CJI further proposed to pass an order to say that ex-officio members could be appointed regardless of their faith but others had to be Muslims.

After the conclusion of hearing, CJI Sanjiv Khanna expressed concern over the violence that has broken out in West Bengal against the amendments to Waqf Act."One thing is very disturbing is the violence that is taking place. If the matter is pending here it should not happen," the CJI said.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the court indicated three concerns -- the validity of Waqf by user properties declared earlier by court decrees which now may become void, having non-Muslims as majority members in Waqf Council, and pending enquiry by the collector on disputed Waqf property, the declaration that the same will not be treated as Waqf property.

The Supreme Court will continue hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on Thursday. The top court will hear the matter at 2 pm.