Hyderabad: MANNU protests against Waqf Amendment Bill

Hyderabad: In response to nationwide calls by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, hundreds of students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) gathered on campus to protest the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, which they termed “anti-Muslim” and “discriminatory.”

The protest, organized by a coalition of student groups including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), and Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO), was a unified stand against what participants described as a state-backed erosion of Muslim religious rights and heritage.

Shaikh Mudassir, a PhD scholar and SIO MANUU President, condemned the Act, saying, "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."

Fraternity Movement Vice President Umar Farooq Qadri added that the move violates Article 26 of the Indian Constitution and reflects what he called the ruling party’s "hypocritical narrative of Muslim welfare."

Ayesha Anjum, an MA student and GIO member, echoed similar concerns. "Waqf belongs to Allah. This move by the government is a direct attack on religious freedom in India," she said. "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."

PhD scholar and AUSF member Swaleh Ansari also addressed the gathering. "This Act does nothing to tackle corruption or encroachment; instead, it empowers government interference and paves the way for the seizure of Waqf properties," he said. "History will remember those who enabled this injustice. The Muslim community will continue to resist through every democratic, legal, and constitutional channel available."

The protest at MANUU is part of a growing wave of campus and community mobilizations across India, reflecting deep discontent with the Waqf (Amendment) Act and its implications for religious freedom, minority rights, and constitutional integrity.