‘Discriminatory and politically driven’: MANUU students protest against Waqf Bill

Hyderabad: Students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) held a campus protest on Monday in response to a nationwide call by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, opposing the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act.

They criticised the law as unjust and a targeted interference in the functioning of Muslim religious and charitable institutions.

The demonstration saw the participation of multiple student bodies, including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, SIO, and GIO.

Protesters voiced fears that the amendment undermined the autonomy of Waqf institutions, enabling state control under the guise of reform. They argued that this was part of a broader pattern of discrimination, where Muslim organisations face tighter scrutiny while similar entities of other communities remain unaffected.

Shaikh Mudassir, a PhD scholar and president of SIO at MANUU, condemned the amendment, calling it “a state-backed attack on the Muslim community’s religious and charitable establishments.”

His remarks reflected the general sentiment at the gathering, where many saw the Act as a strategic move rather than a neutral policy change.

Students also criticised the lack of inclusive dialogue during the drafting process, saying public objections were largely ignored.

The protest ended with a call to persist in challenging the amendment through legal and democratic means, cautioning that remaining silent would only worsen the situation.