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Fact Check: Lawyers protesting against Advocates Amendment Bill misleadingly shared as against new Waqf law
By Siddharth Urmil
Claim
A video was going viral on the social media recently showing lawyers protesting in large numbers. A user, NATION MUSLIM (@AmjadAsR) shared a caption with the post: “Lawyers have blocked the roads and are protesting in large numbers against the Waqf Board Bill. The lawyers’ slogan: ‘Dictatorship will not be tolerated under the protection of the MP — take back your black law!”
The user shared the video on April 5, 2025.
Fact Check
To investigate the claim, timesheadline.in carefully watched the video. It was revealed that this protest was against the Advocates (Amendment) Bill 2025. At 0:37 to 0:40 on the timestamp, this video is depicting a protest against the proposed the Bill at an unidentified location in Delhi.
The reporter in the voice-over can only be heard saying, “Dilli ke tamaam.. inke khilaf jo kanoon laya tha...” The loose translation of this incomplete text means that lawyers from all over Delhi are protesting against the new Bill.
Subsequently, at 0:45 on the timestamp, a lawyer is holding a placard: The Advocates (Amendment) Bill 2025. Words written after it are incoherent as the text is blurry due to the poor quality of the video.
Additionally, a keyword search reflected some news reports pertinent to the issue. One such news report in The Hindu (February 18, 2025), informed about the absence from work of the lawyers practicing in various district courts in Delhi. This was their protest against the proposed law.
The lawyers have argued that the bill prohibits advocates from boycotting and abstaining from the court’s proceedings, which is an infringement of their rights.
A news report by ANI (February 17, 2025), informs of the call against the Bill by the Delhi Bar Association.
Moreover, a news report in the Indian Express (February 23, 2025), has informed about the Centre holding the Bill back after the protests by lawyers, and objections raised by the Bar Council.
Conclusion
Therefore, the fact-check by timesheadline.in reveals that the viral video is misleading.
This video was shared on the social media on April 5, 2025, the day when the Waqf (Amendment) Act received the presidential assent by President Droupadi Murmu.
Analysis: Misleading