Over 300 in UP’s Muzaffarnagar told to furnish Rs 2 lakh bond for protesting against Waqf Bill

More than 300 residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district have been served notices by authorities asking them to appear before a magistrate and furnish a bond of Rs 2 lakh each after they allegedly wore black armbands to protest the Waqf Amendment Bill, The Times of India reported on Saturday.

The residents had allegedly worn the black bands during prayers held on Alvida Jummah, or the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, on March 28.

An unidentified participant told The Times of India that it was a “only silent protest – without sloganeering or posters – and such a step [issuing notices] was unfair”.

A waqf is a property dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause under Islamic law. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity that is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.

The 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill proposed amendments to 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act, including allowing non-Muslims on waqf boards, restricting property donations and changing how waqf tribunals function.

On Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf Bill, turning it into a law. It was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, and in the Lok Sabha at around 2 am on Thursday.

Some of the persons who had participated in the protest received...

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