Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem holds protest against Waqf (Amendment) Act in Bhatkal

Thousands of Muslims protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in Bhatkal town, urging authorities to rescind the law.

Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem Bhatkal, a religious organisation, organised a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 with thousands of Muslims gathering in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha after their Friday prayers in Bhatkal town as a part of nation-wide protest called by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

Memorandum addressed to the Chief Justice of India, the President and the Prime Minister were submitted through the in-charge Assistant Commissioner Kavya Rani, urging the authorities to rescind the law, which the community believes was unconstitutional and undermines the autonomy of Waqf properties.

AIMPLB Member Maulana Ilyas Jakti Nadvi said the protest was not just about safeguarding Waqf properties, but about upholding constitutional principles and India’s pluralistic ethos. “If we remain silent today, our very existence could be endangered tomorrow,” he warned. He further highlighted the interfaith support, saying, “Our Hindu brothers are also standing with us against this black law, and non-Muslim lawyers are fighting our case in the Supreme Court—this is the true beauty of India.”

Former Bhatkal MLA and advocate J.D. Naik criticised the Centre for enacting the Act and alleged the objective was to take control over Muslim Waqf properties. Tanzeem president Inayatullah Shabandri called the protest a powerful beginning of a larger national movement. “This is not merely the voice of Bhatkal; the entire regions of Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Mangaluru, and Goa stand firmly with the AIMPLB,” he declared.

He said the protest was not directed against any religion, caste, or community but solely against a law that threatens the religious and communal assets of the Muslim community.

Tanzeem member and advocate Imran Lanka said the new Act seeks to weaken the autonomy of waqf boards by placing them under direct government control.

Tanzeem General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb M.J. Nadvi, AIMPLB member and general secretary of Rabita Society Ateequr Rahman Muniri, Qazis of Bhatkal Maulana Abdul Rab Nadvi and Maulana Khaja Akrami Madani, Bhatkal TMC incharge president Altaf Kharuri and others were present.