Hyderabad: In a fresh wave of protests, the city witnessed a series of human chains on Sunday, May 25, opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Act by members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM). Protesters were seen wearing black armbands as a mark of dissent.
Charminar MLA Mir Zulfeqar Ali, along with members of AIMIM, including senior leader and Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi participated in the protest.
Akbaruddin Owaisi also led a separate human chain near Owaisi Hospital.
Protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act have resumed across India following a brief pause in the wake of the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 innocent lives.
The fresh wave of demonstrations began on May 18 in Telangana’s Warangal district, after the AIMPLB announced its decision to restart the agitation under the ‘Waqf Bachao, Dastur Bachao’ (Save Waqf, Save Constitution) campaign.
“As part of this campaign, various programmes are being organised across India. So far, several large public meetings have been held in various cities, and roundtable meetings have been conducted with civil society. At the district level, protests, demonstrations and human chain programmes have also taken place,” AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas said.
On April 30, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and several other residents and shop owners in Hyderabad switched off the lights of their homes and establishments to join the silent protest against the Waqf Act.
The Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, officially became a law on April 8. Several Muslim bodies and opposition MPs have moved the Supreme Court against it, claiming it infringes the rights of Indian Muslims and could lose control of Waqf properties, including mosques, dargahs, charitable institutions, and valuable lands.
The Union government, however, stands by its word, describing the Act as a force for transparency and empowerment of backward Muslims and women.
