AIMPLB Launches 87-Day Protest Against Waqf Law, Plans to Gather 1 Crore Signatures
New Delhi, 12th April 2025: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced the launch of a nationwide 87-day protest campaign—Waqf Bachao Abhiyan—against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act. The first phase of the movement will run until July 7, with a goal of collecting one crore signatures to be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of their demand to repeal the law.
Calling it a mass mobilization on the scale of the Shah Bano movement of 1985, the AIMPLB said the campaign will extend from cities to rural areas. The board’s women’s wing will also conduct awareness programs to educate Muslim women about the implications of the law.
In a video message, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi accused the government of pushing a “communal agenda” and undermining the secular character of the Constitution. “This movement aims to protect Waqf properties and demand a rollback of the Waqf law, which we believe violates Islamic values, Sharia, religious freedom, and constitutional principles,” he said.
The board has urged the community to maintain peace and avoid emotional or violent reactions during the course of the protest. “This is a constitutional battle. We must show restraint and unity,” Mujaddidi added.
The campaign, titled “Save Waqf, Save Constitution,” will continue until the controversial legislation is withdrawn, the AIMPLB reiterated.
Meanwhile, 17 petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Waqf Amendment Act have been filed in the Supreme Court. Of these, 10 are listed for hearing on April 16 before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Petitioners include political parties, MPs, private individuals, and NGOs.
The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on April 2 and in the Rajya Sabha on April 3 after 12 hours of heated debate in each House. The bill received presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu late on April 5, following which the government issued a gazette notification. A separate notification will be issued to announce the law’s date of implementation.
During parliamentary discussions, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the bill, stating its objective was to curb bias, encroachments, and misuse of Waqf properties. In the Rajya Sabha, 128 members supported the bill while 95 opposed it. In the Lok Sabha, the bill was passed around midnight with 288 votes in favor and 232 against.
