logo
'I've Visited Churches, Dargahs...': CJI Gavai Counters Kapil Sibal During Waqf Hearing

'I've Visited Churches, Dargahs...': CJI Gavai Counters Kapil Sibal During Waqf Hearing

News1820-05-2025

Last Updated:
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, said the idea behind the Waqf Act is to "capture" entire the Muslim body
A hearing is underway in the Supreme Court on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih is hearing the batch of pleas challenging the new act.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, said the idea behind the Waqf Act is to 'capture" entire the Muslim body.
'This is a case in which the 2025 Act has been framed for protection of Waqf but the design is such that it is to capture the Waqf. If you go to the Mosque, there is no chadaava (offering), they don't have thousands of crores like temples," Sibal said.
Countering Sibal's argument, CJI Gavai said, 'I've visited churches, Dargahs.. it is often done."
Sibal further said that the state cannot finance a religious institution.
During the hearing on May 20, the top court said it would hear arguments for passing interim directions on three issues including the power to denotify properties declared as waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed. The bench had clarified it will not be considering any plea for a stay of provisions of the erstwhile 1995 waqf law on May 20.
Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, whose bench was hearing the matter, demitted office on May 13, and the matters were transferred to the bench headed by Justice Gavai.
On April 17, the Centre assured the top court that it would neither denotify waqf properties, including 'waqf by user", nor make any appointments to the central waqf council and boards till May 5.
The Centre had opposed the apex court's proposal to pass an interim order against the denotification of waqf properties, including 'waqf by user" aside from staying a provision allowing the inclusion of non-Muslims in the central waqf councils and boards.
On April 25, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs filed a preliminary 1,332-page affidavit defending the amended Waqf Act of 2025 and opposed any 'blanket stay" by the court on a 'law having presumption of constitutionality passed by Parliament".
The Centre notified the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 last month after it got President Droupadi Murmu's assent on April 5.
The bill was cleared by Lok Sabha with the support of 288 members while 232 MPs were against it. The Rajya Sabha saw 128 members voting in its favour and 95 against it.
First Published:
May 20, 2025, 12:00 IST

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nearly 300 illegal Bangladeshis pushed back from Assam, says CM Himanta Sarma
Nearly 300 illegal Bangladeshis pushed back from Assam, says CM Himanta Sarma

Hindustan Times

time19 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Nearly 300 illegal Bangladeshis pushed back from Assam, says CM Himanta Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that his government has pushed back nearly 300 illegal Bangladeshis to the neighbouring country in the past few months. Addressing a one-day special session of the state assembly, Sarma said that the process to push them back will continue as per provisions of a 1950 law to identify and evict illegal foreigners. 'We will adopt two roads to deal with illegal foreigners. One is to take their cases to foreigners tribunals and the other to use provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950,' Sarma said. 'We have pushed back almost 300 people till now and none of them have returned. This process will be intensified and way fundamentalist elements from Bangladesh have taken roots in Assam, the government needs to be more active and proactive in this regard,' he added. Sarma stated that his government has decided to enforce provisions of the 1950 Act into action and empower district commissioners to identify and push back illegal Bangladeshis without referring to the foreigners tribunals. Assam has 100 such tribunals where people deemed to be illegal foreigners and who have entered the state after March 25, 2025 (the deadline set to identify illegal immigrants in the state) are referred to and their cases heard. Once they are declared as foreigners by these tribunals they are sent to detention centres set up for such illegal foreigners. They have the option of appealing their cases in higher courts with proper documents. In recent weeks, following directives from the union home ministry, several state governments, especially those ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have started drives to detect illegal Bangladeshis and initiate a process to deport them. Many such people, who are allegedly illegal Bangladeshis, have been pushed back to the no man's land between India and Bangladesh through the borders in Assam, Tripura and West Bengal. Last week, Bangladesh had refused to accept 14 such people from Assam, who were again sent back.

After SC nod, administration beginsland survey for Banke Bihari corridor
After SC nod, administration beginsland survey for Banke Bihari corridor

Time of India

time21 minutes ago

  • Time of India

After SC nod, administration beginsland survey for Banke Bihari corridor

Agra: The local administration in Mathura has started a land survey for the proposed Banke Bihari corridor on Monday, after the Supreme Court's approval. The move comes amid ongoing protests by local residents, including the Goswami community, whose members are considered the temple's 'sevayats' -- hereditary priests who manage daily rituals and other temple affairs. Banke Bihari is regarded as one of the most revered Krishna shrines in north India, attracting lakhs of pilgrims. Mathura district magistrate, CP Singh, said, "The Banke Bihari temple corridor project aims to offer people a safe and dignified 'darshan' experience of the deity. Govt has assured that the rights and traditions of the temple's 'sevayats' will remain untouched, with the state focusing only on development of the external infrastructure. The proposed corridor will resolve long-standing issues of overcrowding and stampedes. It will also offer facilities like clean drinking water, toilets, rest areas, medical centres and lockers." The land survey was conducted by a four-member team who inspected the area around the temple complex. Sources within the local administration told TOI that to ensure minimal inconvenience for local residents, an active search is underway for possible resettlement spots within Vrindavan. On May 15, the SC bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma permitted the state govt to proceed with a 'Rs 500 crore redevelopment plan', which entails acquiring almost five acres of land, using temple funds. The SC ruling came amid protests from the Goswami community and local residents, who have opposed both the corridor project and establishment of the Banke Bihari Temple Trust. Gyanendra Kishor Goswami, a member of the temple management, said, "The proposed corridor and Banke Bihari Trust would destroy the temple's original and ancient form. Govt has adopted a dictatorial attitude towards our demands. Our protest will continue." The move to redevelop the place came up after a stampede-like incident on Janmashtami in 2022, that claimed two lives. In Sept 2023, Allahabad HC instructed the state govt to implement a corridor plan for improved crowd management and safety. Officials claimed that all the stakeholders were consulted, but 'sevayats' and local residents alleged they were excluded from the planning process. Agra: The local administration in Mathura has started a land survey for the proposed Banke Bihari corridor on Monday, after the Supreme Court's approval. The move comes amid ongoing protests by local residents, including the Goswami community, whose members are considered the temple's 'sevayats' -- hereditary priests who manage daily rituals and other temple affairs. Banke Bihari is regarded as one of the most revered Krishna shrines in north India, attracting lakhs of pilgrims. Mathura district magistrate, CP Singh, said, "The Banke Bihari temple corridor project aims to offer people a safe and dignified 'darshan' experience of the deity. Govt has assured that the rights and traditions of the temple's 'sevayats' will remain untouched, with the state focusing only on development of the external infrastructure. The proposed corridor will resolve long-standing issues of overcrowding and stampedes. It will also offer facilities like clean drinking water, toilets, rest areas, medical centres and lockers." The land survey was conducted by a four-member team who inspected the area around the temple complex. Sources within the local administration told TOI that to ensure minimal inconvenience for local residents, an active search is underway for possible resettlement spots within Vrindavan. On May 15, the SC bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma permitted the state govt to proceed with a 'Rs 500 crore redevelopment plan', which entails acquiring almost five acres of land, using temple funds. The SC ruling came amid protests from the Goswami community and local residents, who have opposed both the corridor project and establishment of the Banke Bihari Temple Trust. Gyanendra Kishor Goswami, a member of the temple management, said, "The proposed corridor and Banke Bihari Trust would destroy the temple's original and ancient form. Govt has adopted a dictatorial attitude towards our demands. Our protest will continue." The move to redevelop the place came up after a stampede-like incident on Janmashtami in 2022, that claimed two lives. In Sept 2023, Allahabad HC instructed the state govt to implement a corridor plan for improved crowd management and safety. Officials claimed that all the stakeholders were consulted, but 'sevayats' and local residents alleged they were excluded from the planning process.

Secular parties should approach minorities directly: Sebastian Paul
Secular parties should approach minorities directly: Sebastian Paul

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

Secular parties should approach minorities directly: Sebastian Paul

Veteran politician Sebastian Paul on Monday (June 9) said it was high time the Communist parties in Kerala reached out to the Christian community without the mediation of the community-based political organisations. He was speaking at a seminar on 'Religions and Political Parties', held as part of the second anniversary celebrations of Deshiya Manavika Vedi in Kozhikode. Mr. Paul urged Communist parties to come up with an action plan to create political awareness among the members of the community rather than appease the smaller political parties that often represent the community. 'It is quite difficult to bridge the gap between followers of communism and Christianity. Communist governments across the world have often clashed with the Church, not due to religious reasons, but due to financial and political factors,' he said. He added that the core values advocated by Jesus Christ and Karl Marx were strikingly similar, as both stood for the oppressed and marginalised. 'However, the Church later transformed into a protector of vested interests, owning large tracts of property, while communism advocated for equitable distribution of resources among the public,' Paul said. Filmmaker P.T. Kunhumuhammed, who presided over the seminar, pointed out the lack of influence of political organisations that claim to represent the Muslim population of the State. He shared Mr. Sebastian Paul's opinion that the major political parties should establish a direct line of contact with the minority communities. Social critic KEN Kunjahammed, MES president Fazal Gafoor, and writer Khadeeja Mumtaz also participated in the session. Writer K. Satchidanandan joined the discussions virtually.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store