New Delhi, May 27
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and state governments on a petition challenging the validity of several provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995.
At the outset, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai indicated that it would dismiss the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the 1995 Act solely on the grounds of delay.
“We will dismiss on the grounds of delay. You are challenging the 1995 Act in 2025. Why should a challenge to the 1995 Act be entertained in 2025?” questioned the Bench, also comprising Justice A.G. Masih.
In response, the petitioner’s counsel cited the notice issued in 2021 by the top court on a plea challenging the validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. Further, he contended that the plea questioned the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act, 1995, including the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013 and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, the law officer of the Centre, expressed that no difficulty should arise if the present petition is tagged with the pending batch of pleas challenging the Waqf Act, 1995.