Clamour intensifies against Waqf Amendment Act, protest in Hyderabad
People took part in the protest by holding placards and listening to speeches conveying growing concerns over the Act.
JAC convenor and Tehreek Muslim Shabban president Mohammed Mushtaq Malik criticised the 'systematic weakening of Muslim institutions' and urged political parties and civil society groups to support the resistance. The provisions of the new law would pave the way for a greater State control over religious endowments, he said.
Describing the legislation as more far-reaching than earlier concerns over the CAA and NRC, Mr. Malik questioned the removal of community-specific safeguards and provisions allowing non-Muslim appointments to Waqf Boards. He also emphasised the need for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to maintain political neutrality if it intends to lead a credible movement against the Act.
Mahila Congress vice-president from Khairatabad Asma Ibrahim requested the public to participate in such marches to show their support against the law. 'The Modi government is after the Waqf Bill to target us. We should not let them do this discrimination to us. I request my fellow sisters to join us in this protest,' she said.
Leaders from various political parties, including Congress, BRS, MBT and Telangana Jana Samithi, were present.
Former PCC president V. Hanumantha Rao, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, MBT president Majeedullah Khan Farhat, BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail, former MP Aziz Pasha, MLC Kodandaram, Waqf Board chairman Syed Azmatullah Hussaini, and Haj Committee chairman Khusro Pasha Biyabani, took part.
Central Zone police cordoned off the area with a 300-metre security perimeter to prevent any untoward incident.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
13 minutes ago
- The Wire
'Can You Say it is Criminal to Love?' Says SC While Hearing Petition on Lowering Age of Consent
The apex court's observations came while it was hearing a petition that raised the question whether or not the age of consent, which is 18 years, should be reduced to 16 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 19) said that there is a need to distinguish between rape and genuine romantic cases involving youngsters on the cusp of majority. "Now, they develop feelings for each other. Can you say it is criminal to love? We have to keep a distinction between a criminal act like rape, etc., from this," said a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan, noting the existence of co-education institutions and universities, reported Press Trust of India. The apex court's observations came while it was hearing a petition that raised the question whether or not the age of consent, which is 18 years, should be reduced to 16 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. "When there are genuine romantic cases, they like each other and they want to get married... Don't treat such cases the same as criminal cases, You have to keep the reality of society in mind,' said the court. The court also referred to the trauma such couples face, mostly because of the male partner being sent to jail by the parents of the girl after filing a case under the POCSO Act. "This is the harsh reality in society," the bench said, noting cases under the POCSO Act were also filed to cover up elopements. Senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, who appeared for the petitioner organisation, called for safeguard and said that a similar issue concerning the age of consent was being considered by another bench of the apex court, reported PTI. The court said that the police would look into the matters to ascertain whether it was a case of kidnapping, trafficking or whether it was a case of genuine love. After Phoolka said he would place on record some top court orders in the context of the prayers sought for in the petition, the bench posted the matter for August 26. Earlier, the Union government had defended in the apex court the statutory age of consent of 18 years, saying the decision was a "deliberate, well-considered, and coherent" policy choice aimed at shielding minors from sexual exploitation. It had said that diluting the age of consent or introducing exceptions under the guise of adolescent romance would be not only legally unsound but also dangerous. This article went live on August twentieth, two thousand twenty five, at twenty-two minutes past twelve at noon. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Advertisement
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
Half of posts in UP Pollution Control Board lying vacant
Lucknow: Almost half the sanctioned posts in the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) are lying vacant, raising concerns over the functioning of the state's pollution watchdog. According to information furnished by the UPPCB in response to an RTI query, the board has a sanctioned strength of 732 posts as of August 1, 2025. Of these, 355 -- nearly 49 per cent -- are vacant. While the sanctioned staff strength spans across Group A, B, C and D, the board informed that requisitions have been sent to the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission for filling 115 vacant Group C posts, with the process still underway. The query with the UPPCB was filed by Noida-based environment and social activist Amit Gupta under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. On recruitment, the UPPCB said that between July 2024 and July 2025, it had issued appointment orders to 42 selected junior engineers, though only 28 have formally joined. During the same period, 41 employees, including staff from the Noida regional office, retired. The RTI reply also noted that details about compliance with the Supreme Court's direction to fill vacancies by September 30, 2025, could not be shared, as the matter is sub judice before the apex court and the National Green Tribunal. Gupta said that with almost one in every two posts lying vacant, the board's ability to effectively monitor air and water pollution across Uttar Pradesh is severely constrained. 'UPCCB has a massive shortage of staff, including at its Noida office has just five to six staff to manage one of the most polluted cities.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
BRS faces dilemma over supporting NDA or INDIA bloc nominee in vice-presidential election
HYDERABAD: The upcoming vice-presidential election has sparked keen interest in how the BRS will position itself, given its ideological opposition to both the Congress and BJP. What decision BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao takes is being keenly awaited as the pink party weighs supporting either the NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan or INDIA bloc's nominee Justice B Sudershan Reddy. The fact that Justice Sudershan Reddy is a Telangana native and son of a farmer, who is a familiar figure in the state, places the BRS in a delicate situation. The party must decide whether to back a local candidate or abstain from voting altogether. This dilemma is compounded by the BRS' past support for NDA-backed candidates, such as former president Ram Nath Kovind and vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu. The BRS's history of supporting opposition candidates adds further complexity. In 2022, KCR supported Yashwant Sinha's presidential candidature, proposed by national opposition parties, including the Congress. He welcomed Sinha to Hyderabad with a grand rally, signalling strong opposition to the NDA's candidate, current President Droupadi Murmu. Strategic challenge Now, the BRS faces a strategic challenge. Supporting Justice Sudershan Reddy could lead to accusations from the BJP that the BRS is in league with the Congress, while not supporting him may invite criticism from the Congress that the BRS is colluding with the BJP. Either choice risks damaging the party's image and leadership credibility. Adding to the conundrum, KCR previously invited Justice Sudershan Reddy to a Chandiyagam at his farmhouse during his tenure as chief minister. Whether this personal connection will translate into BRS support for Reddy's candidature remains a topic of heated debate in Telangana's political circles. Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has urged the BRS supremo to back Justice Sudershan Reddy, emphasising his status as a source of Telugu pride and calling for all parties to unite in supporting his vice-presidential bid. This appeal has heightened curiosity about KCR's next move and which side the BRS will ultimately be on in the vice-presidential election.
