The Meitei Pangal community on Tuesday held protests against the recently amended Waqf Act in several valley districts of Manipur, The Indian Express reported.

Meitei Pangals are a group of Muslims who are part of the larger Meitei community.

Protest marches were held in Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts. More than 5,000 protesters were part of the rally in Bishnupur’s Kwakta town, the newspaper reported.

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 recent changes to the law curb the authority of waqf boards and allow greater government control over them.

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

The bill was cleared by Parliament on Friday. The Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, both allies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, supported the bill.

It was given presidential assent on Saturday and took effect on Tuesday.

The Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, among others, have challenged the constitutionality of the bill in the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, Kshetrigao MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan, a member of the National People’s Party, said that he will also challenge the amended Act in the Supreme Court, The Indian Express reported.

The National People’s Party is the ruling party in Meghalaya and part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. Hassan is the leader of the NPP’s legislature party in Manipur.

In November, the National People’s Party had withdrawn support to the BJP government in Manipur, accusing it of failing to restore normalcy amid the ethnic conflict in the state.

Hassan criticised the Union government for passing the bill “without consulting stakeholders”, the newspaper reported.

“The Waqf Amendment Act is unjust and deeply insensitive to the sentiments of the Muslim community,” he was quoted as saying. “It should be repealed immediately to restore trust and foster communal harmony.”

The court is expected to take up the petitions relating to the Waqf Act on April 15, PTI reported on Tuesday.

The Union government has filed a caveat and sought a hearing before the court passes any order in the matter.

Protests were also held in several areas of the Imphal Valley against the Act on Sunday, PTI reported. While the Kuki community is in majority in Manipur’s hill districts, the Meiteis dominate the Imphal Valley.

A mob in Thoubal on Sunday allegedly set fire to the home of BJP leader Mohammed Asker Ali after he supported the passing of the Waqf Bill in a social media post. Ali is the chief of state BJP’s minority unit.

The district magistrate subsequently issued orders prohibiting public gatherings following a report by the superintendent of police.