Government Intervention Forces Cancellation of Muslim Personal Law Board’s Rally at Ramlila Maidan
The Delhi Municipal Corporation withdrew permission for the November 16 protest against the Waqf Amendment Act 2025, citing a government event at the venue — a move the Board called “unjust and undemocratic.”
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly condemned the Delhi Municipal Corporation for cancelling its planned protest rally at Ramlila Maidan just eight days before the event. The gathering, scheduled for November 16, 2025, was meant to protest the Waqf Amendment Act 2025.
According to AIMPLB, the Municipal Corporation had granted permission for the event nearly three months ago, but recently withdrew it, claiming that the ground was needed for a Delhi government programme.
In a statement issued by the Board’s spokesperson, Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, the cancellation was described as “illegal, unethical, and an act of oppression.” He said, “Once permission had been granted months in advance, withdrawing it only a week before the event is completely unjustified. Either the government programme should have been rescheduled, or an alternative venue should have been provided.”
Dr. Ilyas noted that preparations for the protest had been in full swing across the country. Publicity campaigns were already underway, and thousands of people had booked train and flight tickets to attend. “The sudden cancellation has caused deep disappointment and financial loss to many,” he said, adding that buses had also been booked from western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, causing further monetary loss to participants.
He asserted that peaceful protest and criticism of government policies are constitutional rights in a democracy. “It seems the government is nervous about the growing support for the Board’s campaign against the Waqf Amendment Act. The cancellation of the November 16 rally reflects that anxiety,” Dr. Ilyas said.
The Board announced that it would not bow to such “cowardly actions” and plans to hold the postponed rally in Delhi after the month of Ramadan. It expressed hope that no further obstacles would be created by the authorities.
Appealing to the Muslim community, the Board urged people not to lose courage or be disheartened by these developments. “Continue supporting the Board’s efforts with the same enthusiasm and determination as before,” the statement said.
