As Govt Refers Waqf (Amendment) Bill to JPC, Cases of Misappropriation of Land from across India in Focus

The government has agreed to send the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) but the opposition does not seem placated by this. One voice after another from the INDIA bloc as well as All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Asaduddin Owaisi stated that the bill was merely a “diversionary tactic” and was “anti-Muslim”.

The government says the intention of these amendments is not just aimed at giving more representation to Muslims but more importantly to ensure that land is not acquired irregularly or without legality under the name of Waqf property.

According to government data, there are countless instances of land being misappropriated in the name of Waqf property. There are many pending legal cases and representations even to the government which it took cognisance of before bringing these amendments.

For example, as per government records, just ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the then ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) handed over about 123 VVIP properties in the capital’s Lutyens’ Zone to the Delhi Waqf Board. This was done through a notification dated March 5.

In 2012, the Karnataka state minorities commission stated that around 29,000 acres of land was used for commercial purposes and, as per its report, Waqf land was misappropriated in prime areas of Bengaluru, Gulbarga, Bidar, and Kalaburgi.

Maharashtra has also seen many “Waqf scams”, say sources. For example, a piece of land as per the government was acquired by the state administration from the Tabut Inam Endowment Trust, which owns eight hectares in Pune.

News18 has already reported on Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchendurai, where the entire village has allegedly been “usurped” by the Waqf Board.

There are accusations against Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanullah Khan, who was Delhi Waqf Board chairman, of using strong-arm tactics and seizing land under the board’s name. Similar cases have been reported in Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh as well.

Government sources say it may not be easy to undo this, but it will try to ensure that it can avoid such incidents in the future or take precautions.