Manuu protests Waqf Amendment Act

HYDERABAD: Students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) gathered on campus Monday as part of the nationwide call by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to protest against the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act. The students described the amendment as discriminatory and a deliberate intrusion into the affairs of Muslim religious and charitable bodies.

Several student organisations came together for the protest, including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, SIO and GIO. Participants expressed concern that the amendment stripped Waqf institutions of their independence and allowed the state to assert direct control under the pretext of reform. They saw this move as part of a longer pattern of marginalisation, where Muslim communities face restrictions while similar bodies of other faiths are left untouched.

Shaikh Mudassir, a PhD scholar and SIO MANUU President, called the amendment “a state-sponsored assault on religious and charitable institutions of the Muslim community.” His statement echoed the anger shared by many present, who viewed the Act as a calculated decision rather than an administrative correction.

Students also pointed to what they saw as a lack of genuine consultation. The official process, they said, had ignored widespread objections. The protest concluded with organisers calling for continued opposition through legal and democratic channels and warned that silence would only deepen the damage already done.