Two Manipur Congress leaders on Tuesday filed a petition challenging the amended waqf act which has triggered sustained protests in the Muslim pockets of the strife-hit state since April 6.

This is the second petition from Manipur after the one filed by an NPF MLA on Thursday.The petitions have been filed amid the ongoing protests triggered by the act in Muslim-majority areas since April 6.

Protestors have asked Muslim leaders to clarify their stand on the act. Manipur has three Muslim MLAs.

Manipur PCC legal department vice-chairman Rabi Khan said the two former party MLAs, Md Fajur Rajim (current MPCC working president) and Md Amin Shah, moved the apex court seeking the “quashing” of the amended act because it was both “anti-constitutional and anti-secular”. Shah is also a former chairman of the Manipur State Haj Committee while Rahim a former chairman of the state Waqf Board.

“The petition was filed under the initiative and guidance of the Manipur PCC,” he said, adding the amended act “infringes” on the rights of the Muslim community by “diluting” the powers of the state Waqf boards and also violates the right to manage religious affairs.

Multiple petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court against the contentious legislation seen as “discriminatory” towards the Muslim community. These petitions will come up for hearing on Wednesday. Six states — Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Haryana — have filed intervention applications supporting the amended legislation.

The Manipur Congress has been vocal against the amended waqf act with former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh asserting on April 13 that the Act was a “gross violation” of the Constitution and that the Manipur state Congress will file a petition in the apex court against the legislation.

NPP MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan also challenged the legislation in the apex court on Thursday on the ground that it was discriminatory towards the Muslims while flagging that no such restrictions were imposed on other communities for bequeathing their property.

Protests have been held in Muslim-majority areas of the state since April 6, when a mob of “about 7,000-8,000 armed with lathis and swords” set ablaze the residence of BJP Manipur unit Minority Morcha chief for “supporting” the wakf amendment bill and his controversial social media posts on the issue.

The waqf bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 2, the Rajya Sabha on April 4 and the amended act received the president’s assent on April 5.

According to the 2011 census, Muslims (Pangals) constitute over 8 per cent of Manipur’s total population of 28557794.

Security has been beefed up in all Muslim-majority areas.