Thousands of people gathered in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon this week to protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, which several Muslim organizations have described as a “black law” and a threat to religious freedom. The demonstration, held under the banner of the Tehaffuz Auqaf Committee Jalgaon as part of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) “Jail Bharo Andolan,” became the first large-scale peaceful protest in the country against the new law.
The protest began with a two-hour sit-in and ended with nearly 2,000 participants voluntarily courting arrest at the Zila Peth police station. All of them were released by evening. Organizer Farooq Shaikh told reporters, “We surrendered willingly. This is not just a Muslim movement—it’s for anyone who believes in justice, equality, and the Constitution. Jalgaon has shown that peaceful protest can be powerful. We reject this unconstitutional law completely.”
A delegation led by Mufti Khalid, President of the Tehaffuz Waqf Committee, later met Additional Collector Shrimant Harkar and handed over a memorandum addressed to the President of India. The delegation demanded the immediate repeal of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, an end to central government control over Waqf properties, and the establishment of independent, community-run Waqf boards with transparency. They also urged the government to act against land encroachments and illegal transfers, and to extend the December 5 deadline for e-registration of mosques, madrasas, and dargahs.
Mufti Khalid condemned the new law, saying, “This Act interferes with our religion and takes away our right to manage our own institutions. Our elders stayed in this country after Partition because they trusted India’s justice and equality. This movement protects that trust by standing for faith, the Constitution, and justice.” He also said the law violates Articles 25 to 30 of the Constitution, which guarantee religious freedom and minority rights.
The protest received support from the Bahujan Kranti Morcha, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). VBA’s District President Shamibha Bhanudas Patil called the Act “a Manuwadi and Sanghi agenda designed to weaken Muslims socially and economically,” adding that it was “a threat to India’s secular spirit.”
Despite heavy police deployment, the protest remained peaceful and focused on defending constitutional values. Following Jalgaon’s success after AIMPLB’s earlier attempt in Delhi on October 12 was blocked the Board is now planning similar protests across Maharashtra.
As one of the detainees said after being released, “We will fill the jails, but we won’t give up our waqf, our faith, or our rights.”
