Muslims protest against the WAQF 2025 amendment law, in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: Ramakrishna G
Thousands of people marched through the streets of Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon, expressing a strong opposition to the new WAQF legislation that say “threatens Muslim endowments and bodies that govern them.”
The protest, which is located at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Basheerbagh and culminated in Ambedkar’s statue in Tank Bund, attracted a large crowd of the city.
Holding banners said “manipula “Waqf Act Wapas Lo” (Recover the WAQF law). Several participants also greeted the Indian national flag while marching, underlining what they described as a constitutional concern and throughout the community.
The protesters also directed their anger to the political leaders who have supported the legislation. Sets were raised against Andhra Pradesh Prime Minister, Chandababu Naidu, and Bihar Prime Minister Nithis Kumar, for his support for the law, that many in the Muslim community fear that they could have the autonomy of the Waqf meetings and threaten the future of religious properties.
“The WAQF law is an attack on WAQF’s properties and will lead to the end of Sharia. We come from Sanathnagar because this affects all Muslims. If we do not raise our voice now, we will lose our identity,” said Syed Majid Hussain, a Sanathnagar driver who attended the protest with his friend Farhad Khan.
The great participation led to a severe traffic congestion at several key crosses between Basheerbagh and Tank Bund. The protesters occupied the high passage of Basheerbagh, causing significant delays. The travelers faced long grunts, especially around the Ambedkar statue, where the protest concluded.
Published – April 13, 2025 08:46 PM IST