The roundtable conference saw the participation of over 120 figures, including representatives from Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, and Jain communities, along with Muslim scholars and intellectuals
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU – In a strong display of interfaith solidarity and democratic resolve, leaders from multiple religions, legal experts, and civil society groups came together in Bengaluru to condemn the Waqf Amendment Act, calling it a direct assault on India’s Constitution and minority rights.
The event on Tuesday (24 June) was organised under the banner of the “Save Waqf, Save Constitution” campaign by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The roundtable conference saw the participation of over 120 figures, including representatives from Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, and Jain communities, along with Muslim scholars and intellectuals.
Speakers from all faiths unanimously rejected the Waqf Amendment Act, describing it as a discriminatory law that targets Muslim religious endowments while threatening the broader constitutional framework.
“This is not merely a Muslim issue. It is about protecting the secular and democratic soul of India,” said Jagmohan Singh, President of the Sikh Personal Law Board. Several leaders warned that the Act violates Articles 14, 25, 26, 29, and 30 of the Constitution — provisions that guarantee equality before the law, religious freedom, and minority rights.
A joint resolution passed during the conference outlined key objections to the Act. It strips Muslim waqf properties of legal safeguards, while religious assets of other communities remain unaffected.
During the discussions religious disqualification clause came under intense scrutiny. A Muslim individual not classified as a “practicing Muslim” for the past five years is now barred from making personal endowments — a move termed by speakers as an “unprecedented encroachment on religious freedom.”
The requirement for Waqf Board and Central Waqf Council members to be Muslim has been abolished; elections replaced by government nominations, undermining community representation.
There is also a danger that Waqf lands designated as “heritage” or brought under the control of the Archaeological Department will lose their waqf status.
Muslims have been explicitly barred from dedicating their land as waqf. In case of land disputes, the final authority rests with a government-appointed officer, sidelining the Waqf Board and violating principles of justice.
There are ambiguous usage clauses in the new law, the meeting noted.
New rules mandating that waqf land be used strictly for “declared purposes” have created legal ambiguity and risk arbitrary confiscation.
The conference demanded immediate repeal of the 2025 Waqf Amendment Act and an interim stay on its enforcement until the Supreme Court decides on the constitutional challenges pending before it.
It also called for the restoration of democratic processes in the Waqf administration and recognition of minority autonomy in managing religious affairs.
Key speakers included Dr Saad Belgami (President, Jamaat-e-Islami Karnataka), Mufti Dr Maqsood Imran Rashadi (Imam & Khatib, Jama Masjid Bengaluru), Badagalpur Nagendra (President, Kisan Morcha Karnataka), Advocate Vinay Srinivasan (Alternative Law Forum), Prof Rajendra (PUCL), and Noor Sridhar (Jan Shakti).
Also present were Mufti Iftikhar Ahmed Qasmi, Maulana Ejaz Nadvi, Asim Afroz Seth, Tara Rao (Yeddalu Karnataka), Dr Bhanu Prakash, Fayyaz Sharif, and Rame Gowda, among many others.
The event opened with welcoming remarks by Convener Muhammad Yusuf Kani and concluded with a strong presidential address reaffirming the campaign’s commitment to peaceful, legal resistance.
The meeting announced plans to take the movement national, leveraging legal avenues, grassroots mobilisation, and interfaith coalitions to challenge what it called an “unjust and unconstitutional law.”
“This conference marks the beginning of a larger, united struggle — not just to protect waqf, but to defend the Constitution of India itself,” said one speaker.
With 85 representatives from over 60 interfaith organisations and 35 leading Muslim figures in attendance, the Bengaluru conference sent a clear message: any attack on minority rights will be met with collective, democratic resistance.
