Waqf Bill 2024 withdrawn; BJP claims Waqf properties expanded at the cost of temples, gurdwaras

By Muslim Mirror staff

On Thursday, Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the Waqf mafia was misusing outdated Waqf laws. However, the government has withdrawn the controversial bill, leaving the BJP machinery to continue its narrative against it.

BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya immediately began criticising the Bill after its withdrawal. On X, he wrote: “From private property to government land, temple land to gurdwaras, the recent amendment to the Waqf Act by the Congress has given rise to the Waqf Board land mafia targeting and seizing these properties.”

Malviya’s data shows that Waqf properties in India have grown significantly from around 52,000 properties with 4 lakh acres of land in 2009 to over 872,292 registered properties with an area of ​​8 lakh acres today. He claims that this expansion has mainly affected poor Muslims.

Malviya’s claims suggest that the Waqf Board is encroaching on land belonging to temples and gurdwaras. “With BJP governments in 11 states, despite the Modi government being in power for over a decade, how many temples and gurdwaras has the Waqf Board encroached?” Malviya asked, suggesting that he is ignorant of the Waqf Board’s activities.

He further criticised the BJP for failing to understand the nature of Waqf properties. “Waqf properties are dedicated by Muslim individuals or families for the sake of Allah. They cannot be sold, they are only used by the community,” Malviya explained. He stressed that an increase in Waqf properties indicates that Muslim families are donating more land for religious and community purposes.

Malviya also pointed to discrepancies in the distribution of land for places of worship. In Haryana, the Waqf Board has allocated land for mosques and cultural activities in Faridabad and Gurgaon, but local municipal corporations are delaying approvals. Hindu organisations, on the other hand, have raised objections to Muslims praying in public spaces, leading to gurdwaras allowing prayers on their premises.

In Uttar Pradesh, the state government recently introduced a bill targeting illegal properties, but BJP MPs and ministers opposed it. Malviya questioned the reasons behind this opposition, suggesting that many of these properties were historically leased to Hindus by Muslim families and are now owned or occupied by them.

The debate continues as political leaders and parties express their views on the implications of the proposed changes and the management of Waqf properties.