HYDERABAD: In a dramatic escalation of the agitation against the controversial Waqf Amendment Act, thousands of Muslims staged flash protests outside mosques across Telangana following Friday prayers, responding to the call issued by the Muslim Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, led by Tahreek Muslim Shabban.
JAC Convener and Tahreek Muslim Shabban President Mohammed Mushtaq Malik confirmed that demonstrations were reported from all major districts, including Warangal, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Jagtial, Armoor, Nizamabad, Nalgonda, and Khammam, as well as numerous towns and villages across the State. Protesters held placards demanding the immediate repeal of the Waqf Amendment Act, which they believe undermines the constitutional rights and religious autonomy of Muslims.
In Hyderabad, protest demonstrations took place at prominent locations such as Mecca Masjid, Royal Mosque at Public Gardens, Jamia Masjid Darul Shifa, Reti Ki Masjid in Yakutpura, Masjid-e-Salahuddin in Moghalpura, as well as in Bahadurpura, IDP, Mehdipatnam, Asif Nagar, and Vijayanagar Colony. Protests also spread across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Mohammed Mushtaq Malik warned that the community’s growing anger would culminate in a massive public demonstration titled ‘Telangana March to Rollback Waqf Amendment Act-2025’, scheduled for April 26 at Dharna Chowk, Hyderabad, starting at 2:00 PM. He described the Act as a grave threat to the religious, cultural, and institutional foundations of the Muslim community and cautioned that silence could lead to the seizure of mosques, dargahs, khanqahs, Eidgahs, graveyards, and madrasas governed by Waqf.
He asserted that the Telangana March would surpass even the anti-CAA and NRC protests of 2019, which saw hundreds of thousands gather in peaceful resistance. Malik appealed to all secular and democratic forces to join the protest and oppose what he described as a concerted attempt to dispossess minorities of their heritage and constitutional protections. “If we do not rise now, we will lose our Waqf institutions forever. This is not just a Muslim issue—it is about defending the Constitution and the rights it guarantees to all minorities,” he said.
The JAC has been actively mobilising support from across the political spectrum. TPCC Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin, MBT Spokesperson Amjedullah Khan Khaled, former Minorities Finance Corporation Chairman Akbar Hussain, BRS leaders Masihullah Khan and Raheemullah Khan Niazi, Dr Toufeeq of Wahdat-e-Islami, TPCC Secretary Osman Mohammed Khan, and Nazimuddin Farooqi of Muslim Chambers are among several prominent figures working to ensure the success of the April 26 rally.
The Joint Action Committee has also announced a series of weekly symbolic protests to be held every Friday in the lead-up to the march. Protesters will wear black ribbons and wave black flags as a sign of dissent. Malik stressed that the movement would remain entirely peaceful and committed to constitutional principles and democratic norms.
The committee further plans to engage with all major political leaders in the State, including Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, BRS President K. Chandrashekar Rao, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, and leaders from the CPI, CPM, and other secular parties.
With growing participation from across Telangana, the agitation is fast emerging as one of the largest mass movements for minority rights in recent years. It is uniting political, religious, and civil society voices around the common cause of protecting constitutional guarantees and religious freedoms.
