Mangaluru (Karnataka): In what is deemed as one of the largest public gatherings by the Muslim community in Karnataka in recent times, over one lakh people assembled under the banner of the Karnataka State Ulema Coordination Committee to protest the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 here. The demonstrators voiced strong opposition to provisions in the amended law that, according to them, erode the autonomy of Waqf institutions and threaten the community’s rights over religious and charitable endowments.
Addressing the gathering, the Committee’s president, Sheikullah Taqwa Ustad, said the changes made to the Waqf Act signify a deeper attempt to “weaken” the institutional foundations of the Muslim community. The Muslim community has faced oppression in the past, but this time, through the amendment to the Waqf Act, there appears to be an underlying effort to diminish the importance of Waqf, he stated. He urged the community to uphold the nation’s multicultural and democratic spirit while firmly asserting their legal and constitutional rights.
Former secretary of the Karnataka Waqf Board, Shafi Saeedi, alleged that the amendment was part of a broader political agenda. “We are exposing the fascist forces that are ruling this country, and on May 5, we believe the Supreme Court will vindicate our stand,” he said. Stressing that the protest was neither against any particular community nor political ideology, he said, “Our fight is about safeguarding our culture, our endowments, and the religious purpose behind Waqf. This is not new – we demonstrated the same unity and spirit during the Shah Bano case in 1985.”
A key concern raised by the scholars and clerics was over the classification and control of Waqf properties under the new legislation. They questioned the rationale behind placing religious institutions such as Idgahs, mosques, cemeteries, and madrasas under government control through various provisions of the amended Act – particularly Sections 3K, 14, and 40 – which, they argued, allow for coercive acquisition of Waqf properties. In a pointed remark, Shafi Saeedi cited the example of the Ambani residence in South Mumbai, claiming it was built on land that once belonged to the Aga Khani Waqf. “Will the government send its bulldozers there too?” he questioned. The protest concluded with a call for peaceful resistance and legal redress, with leaders reiterating their faith in democratic institutions while urging the government to protect the constitutional and religious rights of the Muslim community.
