Waqf is like charity, not an essential part of Islam: Centre tells Supreme Court
New Delhi: On the second day of the Supreme Court's hearing on the Waqf law, the Centre asserted that Waqf is a form of charity and not an essential religious practice in Islam. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, presenting arguments on behalf of the government, said the state is legally empowered to reclaim government land that has been declared as Waqf under the now-removed ‘waqf-by-user’ provision.
Mehta emphasized that no individual or institution can claim rights over government land, even if it has been used for religious or charitable purposes for a long period. He referred to a previous Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the government's authority to protect its property even if it had been considered Waqf.
The Solicitor General also denounced what he called “false narratives” surrounding the Waqf amendments, stating that the new law is not intended to dispossess Muslim communities. He explained that the amended legislation allows waqf-by-user only in three cases: where the property is registered, is private, and does not involve government land.
According to Mehta, the latest amendments resolved issues that had persisted since 1923, which neither the British administration nor successive Indian governments were able to address. He informed the Court that the Joint Parliamentary Committee held 36 sittings and reviewed 96 lakh representations before finalizing the amendments.
On the first day of the hearing, Chief Justice BR Gavai remarked that legislation passed by Parliament carries a presumption of constitutionality, and courts cannot interfere unless a very strong and glaring case is presented. This statement came during submissions by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is arguing on behalf of the petitioners challenging the law.
The Centre urged the Supreme Court to confine the hearing to three issues: the constitutionality of the waqf-by-user principle, the nomination of non-Muslims to Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council, and the identification of government land as Waqf.
The matter remains pending as the Court continues its hearing on the validity and implications of the amended Waqf law.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
