MANUU students protest against Waqf Amendment Act, call it anti-Muslim
Hyderabad: Hundreds of students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) staged a protest on campus to register their opposition to the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The demonstration was held in response to a nationwide call by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The protesting students denounced the legislation as “anti-Muslim” and “discriminatory.”
A coalition of student groups including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), and Girls’ Islamic Organisation (GIO) organised the protest to demonstrate a unified stand against the legislation. The Urdu university students described it as a state-backed erosion of Muslim religious rights and heritage.
“We reject the Waqf Amendment Act, which is a state-sponsored assault on religious and charitable institutions of the Muslim community. By dismantling Waqf autonomy, the government is openly targeting Muslim heritage, while leaving similar institutions of other communities untouched,” said Shaikh Mudassir, a PhD scholar and SIO MANUU President.
While Fraternity Movement Vice President Umar Farooq Qadri criticised the ruling party and said the move violates Article 26 of the Indian Constitution and reflects the ruling party’s “hypocritical narrative of Muslim welfare.”
Echoing similar concerns, Ayesha Anjum, an MA student and GIO member termed the passing of the legislation in the Parliament as a ‘direct attack on religious freedom in India’.
“The so-called consultative process ignored millions of objections. This is not reform; it is dispossession. It is a war on Waqf and on Muslim existence,” she said.
Meanwhile, the AIMPLB has asserted that it will launch a nationwide movement against the Waqf (Amendment) Act and the campaign would continue until the legislation is fully repealed.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament earlier this week. She also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 came into force on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, according to a notification from The Gazette of India.
From the heart of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Gachibowli, we raise our voice against the unconstitutional Waqf Amendment Act. This is not just about land it’s about dignity, identity, and justice for India’s marginalized. We will not be silent.#RejectWaqfBill pic.twitter.com/Uh8Xm2Rbqp
— Sadiya shaikh (@sadiyashk2001) April 8, 2025
