Patna, Apr 18 (PTI) The main opposition party in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal, on Friday, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to put on hold key provisions of the Waqf Act till the next hearing, and said the “legal battle against the legislation will continue”.

Talking to reporters here on Friday, RJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said, “The Waqf Act attacks the rights of minorities.” It attacks the very soul of the Constitution. It is unconstitutional. The RJD will not allow this to happen, he said.

“Our legal battle against the new legislation will continue. We welcome the SC’s decision of putting on hold key provisions of the Waqf Act till the next hearing,” Jha said.

The SC on Thursday granted the Centre a week’s time to file a response to the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan noted assurance of the Centre that till the next date of hearing (May 5), waqf, including ‘waqf by user’, which is declared by notification or registered, will neither be denotified nor its character changed.

The SC gave its observation while hearing a batch of petitions, including AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi’s plea and RJD’s Manoj Jha, against the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 recently passed by Parliament.

“We thank the SC for putting on hold key provisions of the Waqf Act. Right from the beginning our leaders, Lalu Prasad Ji and Tejaswhi Yadav Ji, are clear that the RJD will not allow anyone to divide the society on the name of caste, creed and religion. This is not the fight to protect the soul of the constitution only, this is the fight to protect minorities in the country,” said Jha.

There are several amendments in the Act, which go against the Constitution, he claimed.

“In the coming hearings, we hope that the points raised by us will be considered by the court,” the RJD MP said.

“We hope for more relief,” he said.

When asked about the meeting of leaders of ‘Mahagathbandhan’ held in Patna on Thursday and also on the prevailing confusion over the CM face in the assembly polls due in the state later this year, Jha said, “There is an appropriate time for everything. I must say one thing as you people know the sun rises in the east. It is a universal truth.” “Similarly, this issue is also very clear. Now, I don’t have to say much about this,” Jha said. PTI PKD SBN SBN