The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred issuing an interim order on the recently amended Waqf law, following last-minute requests from the Centre and several states seeking additional time to respond to key concerns raised by the court.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the amended provisions. During the proceedings, the court expressed concerns about the protests and instances of violence that have erupted in response to the amendments. It also raised a significant question: whether Muslims could be appointed to Hindu religious boards if the same standards of inclusion were to be applied across religious communities.

Toward the conclusion of the hearing, the bench indicated its intent to issue an interim order and outlined three specific procedural issues where it sought to maintain the status quo:

1. Property Declaration: Any property declared as Waqf — either by individuals or through a court — will not be notified during the pendency of the case.

2. Collector’s Proceedings: While proceedings before the Collector may continue, the amended provision granting enhanced powers will not apply for now.

3. Board Appointments: While ex-officio members may be appointed irrespective of religion, other nominated members on Waqf Boards must be Muslims.

Just as the court prepared to pass the interim directions, the Centre and states requested additional time to formulate and present their arguments. Although the bench offered to extend the hearing by thirty minutes, the matter was ultimately adjourned. The court will now hear the case again on Wednesday.