Will Muslims be allowed on Hindu boards? Supreme Court questions Centre on Waqf Act
New Delhi: During the hearing of 73 petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, the Supreme Court today posed sharp questions to the Centre regarding several provisions of the new law. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Vishwanathan, focused particularly on the clause allowing non-Muslims on the Central Waqf Council.
In a pointed remark, the court asked, "If non-Muslims are to be included on Muslim religious boards, will the Centre also allow Muslims to be part of Hindu endowment boards? Say it openly."
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, argued that several provisions in the new Waqf law violate Article 26 of the Constitution, which protects the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs. He also raised concerns about the Collector being given quasi-judicial powers under the Act, calling it unconstitutional.
A major point of contention was the provision for ‘Waqf by user’ — where a property can be considered Waqf based on long-term religious or charitable use, even without documentation. The amended law now excludes properties under dispute or government land from this category, which has drawn criticism and protests across the country.
The court has yet to decide whether the matter should remain in the Supreme Court or be referred to High Courts for further adjudication.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
