In January, authorities bulldozed nearly 250 properties, including a century-old mosque, in Ujjain, India to clear land for a government project surrounding a famous temple. This move has sparked debate regarding the management of waqf properties in India, which are donated for religious or charitable purposes by Muslims and are worth billions of dollars.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-majority Bharatiya Janata Party, is proposing amendments to the decades-old Waqf Act that would give it unprecedented control over waqf properties. This has raised concerns among Muslim groups who fear further marginalization of the minority community.
Critics allege that this move is part of a broader problem of mismanagement and corruption that has plagued waqf properties for years. The recent demolition in Ujjain is seen as an example of how influential builders with political connections have illegally taken over waqf lands.
Experts and activists point to a pattern of deliberate dispossession and encroachment of waqf properties by both the government and private individuals. The proposed amendments to the Waqf Act have raised fears that the government is seeking to legally take control of these valuable lands.
Muslim community leaders and lawyers argue that the government’s mismanagement of waqf properties has allowed for widespread illegal occupation and conversion of these lands to private ownership. With the proposed amendments, they fear that the government will have even more power to exploit these valuable assets.
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