Tonk (Rajasthan) [India], September 16 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot welcomed the Supreme Court's order putting a stay on certain provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and reaffirmed his confidence in the judiciary.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in Rajasthan's Tonk, Pilot urged political leaders to respect the interim order issued by the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.

Sachin Pilot said, 'I have not seen the report, but when the court has given a decision, then everyone should accept it. Everyone has faith in the judiciary. Sometimes, there is a delay in the judiciary, but the judiciary of the country is strong and robust.'

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge lauded the apex court's order and said that the Supreme Court reaffirmed its resolve to protect the rights of minorities.

In a post on X, Mallikarjun Kharge shared, 'The Hon'ble Supreme Court, in its interim order today, reaffirmed its resolve to protect the rights of minorities -- a cause for which the Opposition stood united against the Modi Govt. The BJP had sought to bulldoze a divisive law, designed solely to inflame communal passions and reopen issues that India had long settled.'

He further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was thriving on dividing society for narrow electoral gains.

'The Congress Party stands firm in defending the rights of every citizen, without fear or favour, as guaranteed by our Constitution. The BJP, in contrast, thrives on dividing society for narrow electoral gains,' he further shared.

Passing the interim order, the bench stayed the provision in the Act that a person should be a practitioner of Islam for five years to create a Waqf.

It said the provision will be stayed till rules are framed on determining whether a person is a practitioner of Islam. The bench said that without any such rule or mechanism, the provision will lead to an arbitrary exercise of power.

The apex court also stayed the provision allowing the Collector to decide the dispute whether a Waqf property has encroached upon a government property.

The bench also said that the provision that not more than three non-Muslim members should be included in the state Waqf Board, and that, in total, not more than four non-Muslims shall be included in the Central Waqf Councils for now. The court also noted that, as far as possible, the CEO of the Board should be a Muslim.

However, the top court refused to stay the provision which abolished the concept of 'Waqf-by-user', and said prima facie deletion of the provision in the amendment 'cannot be said to be arbitrary.'

'If the legislature, in 2025, finds that on account of the concept of Waqf-by-User, huge government properties have been encroached upon and to stop the said menace, it takes steps for deletion of the said provision, the said amendment, prima facie, cannot be said to be arbitrary,' the court said. (ANI)