Five states back Waqf Amendment Act in SC, seek to join case

In a significant development ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on April 16 regarding the petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, five states—Assam, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra—have moved the court seeking to intervene in the matter. The states filed applications to be added as parties in the petitions filed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and others.  Rajasthan, in its application, remarked that while the petition raises constitutional questions, it “fails to take into account the operational difficulties faced by the state administration.”
The Uttarakhand Waqf Board, which has been supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Act, has submitted an application in the Supreme Court seeking permission to intervene in a writ petition filed by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi challenging the constitutional validity of the law.There are 5,317 Waqf properties in the state of Uttarakhand at present, it said. "The sudden rise in Waqf properties in the state raises questions on the genuineness of these donations. There are also many Waqf properties that have been encroached upon by third persons," the Board said in its application. Entrusted with the administration and management of Waqf properties in the state, the Uttarakhand Waqf Board is an important and necessary party having a stake in the matter, the Board said in its application.