Congress Welcomes Supreme Court's Interim Relief on Waqf Amendment Act

The Congress on Thursday strongly welcomed the Supreme Court's interim relief on the controversial Waqf Amendment Act, branding the legislation as an act of "retaliation disguised as reform"

The Congress party on Thursday expressed strong support for the Supreme Court’s decision to grant interim relief on the controversial Waqf Amendment Act. At a press conference, senior Congress leader and MP Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, along with fellow MP Imran Pratapgarhi, spoke at length about the implications of the Act.

Describing the legislation as an act of "retaliation disguised as reform," Singhvi said it was timed and structured to spite the Congress and had no real interest in administrative efficiency.

"This is not reform, it's retaliation — precisely timed, deeply political, and constitutionally dubious," he asserted.

The Congress MP further explained that the law was not about improving Waqf institutions, which are in a poor state despite being envisioned as autonomous bodies by the framers of the Constitution, but rather about "controlling them, reducing autonomy to protocol, and rewriting rights with bureaucratic ink."

Rejecting the notion that the Congress was standing up for a single community, Singhvi highlighted the party's broader objective of defending constitutional values.

"This is not a community issue. It's a constitutional one. Article 26 protects the rights of all religious denominations — and today, it's the Waqf, but tomorrow, it could be any institution, any faith, even your voice," he warned.

Slamming the government's claims of inclusivity, Singhvi said a "token Muslim presence on a board isn't representation — it's appropriation." He added that the Act renders religious identity a liability and turns faith-based institutions into government-controlled entities.

"The law is morally hollow and we are grateful to the court for understanding that. You cannot amputate Article 26 and call it reform," Singhvi stated.

Pratapgarhi also expressed gratitude for the court's intervention, noting that the government had rammed the bill through Parliament despite opposition input being ignored in both the JPC and legislative debates.

Both leaders called for continued scrutiny of the Act, setting a dangerous precedent for minority rights and religious freedom in the country.