No waqf property will be denotified till next hearing, Centre tells Supreme Court

The Union government on Thursday told the that some provisions of the recently-passed Waqf Amendment Act, such as the denotification of existing waqf properties, will not be enacted until the court hears the matter again, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan was also told that the provision pertaining to the in waqf boards will not be acted on during this period. The court was hearing petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, which came into force on April 8.

The court directed the Union government to to the petitions within a week, Bar and Bench reported. The bench also ordered that to the Central Waqf Council or the state waqf boards until the next hearing on May 5.

A waqf is to a religious, educational or charitable cause. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.

The 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill proposed amendments to 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act, including allowing non-Muslims on waqf boards, restricting property donations and changing how waqf tribunals function.

The bill was cleared by Parliament on April 4. It received presidential assent on...