Students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University stage protest against Waqf (Amendment) Act

The protest was organised by a coalition of student groups including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, Students Islamic Organisation, and Girls Islamic Organisation

Hyderabad: Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) students staged a protest against the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, which they termed “anti-Muslim” and “discriminatory.”

The protest, organised by a coalition of student groups including AUSF, Fraternity Movement, Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), and Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO) on varsity campus here on Monday night, was a unified stand against what participants described as a state-backed erosion of Muslim religious rights and heritage.

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Condemning the Act, SIO MANUU president and PhD scholar Shaikh Mudassir, said by dismantling Waqf autonomy, the government was openly targeting Muslim heritage, while leaving similar institutions of other communities untouched.

Fraternity Movement vice president Umar Farooq Qadri said the move violates Article 26 of the Indian Constitution and reflects what he called the ruling party’s “hypocritical narrative of Muslim welfare.”

Ayesha Anjum, an MA student and GIO member, echoed similar concerns and said the government’s move was a direct attack on religious freedom in India.

AUSF member and PhD scholar Swaleh Ansari said the Act does nothing to tackle corruption or encroachment but instead empowers government interference and paves the way for the seizure of Waqf properties.