New Delhi, May 21 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday continued hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, with Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta defending the Central government's stance before a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.
Mehta asserted that waqf, though rooted in Islamic tradition, is not an essential religious practice under Islam, and that waqf boards perform secular administrative functions.
Therefore, he argued, the inclusion of non-Muslims in such boards is permissible and constitutional.
"Waqf is an Islamic concept. But it is not an essential part of Islam. Charity exists in every religion, including Hinduism and...