Grabbing Waqf Properties by Muslim Elite is the Indulgence they Dread to Lose: Lalit k kaul

Grab and Loot of Waqf Properties by Muslim Elite is the Indulgence they Dread to Lose

Lalit K Kaul

The Muslim Elite comprising of Muslim political and religious leadership have, in the name and under the banner of Islam, plundered waqf properties which were to be in the service of Allah by dint of servicing the needs of poor and needy Muslims. The new Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024 has been passed in both houses of the Parliament and thus a new law regulating functioning of Waqf Boards has come into effect. The plunderers of waqf assets have been in the process of provoking Muslims into performing violent acts to create social disorder and law and order problem and the process is on with bigger zeal. These plunderers are approaching the Supreme Court of India with a complaint that Islam is facing existential threat!

These plunderers who are self-declared guardians of Islam have in fact been violating every tenet of Islam related to social, economic and religious matters. What they have zealously pursued is vandalizing non-Muslims’ places of worship and carrying out genocide of “infidels” in such pockets in India where they have come to be a majority. They patiently await a demographic change and then unleash barbarism on unsuspecting non-Muslims.

They have politicized the act of offering namaz by reading namaz on roadsides if only to make their presence felt and inconvenience the “infidels”. Prophet Muhammad gave azan only once in a day, but the depraved Moulvis insist on giving azan 5 times a day! Al Quran advises them that their offering namaz shouldn’t disturb anybody, but they do the opposite. They have been using Islam to achieve their long term nefarious political goals in India which they designate as Land of “Kafirs” and where Nizam-e-Mustafa is to be established.

Yet, by no standard they can claim to be Muslims. To achieve their political goals they nurture and indoctrinate Muslim youth generally coming from poor families only to prepare them for Jihad while they languish in Western culture! Of late they have been busy indoctrinating Muslim IT professionals for a hi-tech based terrorist activities. These plunderers are such opportunists that without batting an eyelid they transit from their Western lifestyles to a state where they emphasize upon religious dictate of Life Hereafter and let loose indoctrinated youth to face the might of Indian State while their own children remain busy living a life which as per Al Quran is “Haram”. The unethical acts of Maulanas in Madrasas are too well documented by V- loggers in Pakistan; they spare none- be it a boy or a girl! As they follow their pious land, same can be said of Maulanas in Indian Madrasas. In addition, now in India, Madrasas have taken to printing counterfeit currency! And, Lo and Behold they swear by Islam!

Approaching the Supreme Court of India:

The waqf land dons like Asaddudin Owaisi, Amanatullah Khan and their ilk have made a bee line to the Supreme Court of India for striking down the new law, enacted by the Parliament, for regulating the functioning of waqf boards. The absurdity of Indian dispensation is that the likes of Amanatullah Khan who are charge sheeted for misappropriation of waqf properties too have approached the court. It is made possible because the courts are very eager to grant lifetime bail to VVIP accused. In brief the charge sheet against Amanatullah Khan is reproduced as under:

In September 2024, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Delhi Waqf Board Chairman Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case. An FIR was filed by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), and in September 2023, the ACB officials arrested him for alleged financial mismanagement and other irregularities within the Delhi Waqf Board. According to the ACB, the initial FIR in this case was filed in January 2020. It was filed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They later invoked Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 409 of the IPC.During the investigation, a witness revealed several issues related to the tenancy of Waqf properties. The witness said that in 2021, he submitted a bid of Rs 30,000 for a Waqf Board shop at Fatehpuri Masjid. His bid was the highest but he was still asked to pay ₹ 10 lakh. He was then instructed to withdraw his bid when he refused to pay Rs 10 lakh for the shop. According to the Investigative Officer in court, Amanatullah Khan subsequently accepted a lower bid of Rs 19,000 from another bidder which led to financial loss for the Delhi Waqf Board. In another case, the ED has alleged that ₹36 crore was laundered into properties by the AAP leader’s agents. Amanatullah Khan is also facing a case for illegal appointment of members to the Waqf board, causing a loss to the exchequer. Besides, Khan also allegedly siphoned money collected for Delhi Riot victims through the Waqf Board, and bought property in his second wife’s name.

Few examples of the Plunder and Loot of Waqf Properties by Muslim Elite:

Misappropriation of ₹4 crore by former Karnataka Waqf Board CEO: In July 2024, the High Grounds Police in Karnataka’s Bengaluru registered an FIR against the former CEO of the Waqf Board, Zulfiqarullah. The case was registered under Sections 403 (criminal misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants) and 420 (cheating), based on the complaint lodged by Chief Accounts Officer Mir Ahmed Abbas accusing Zulfiqarullah of misappropriating Waqf funds eight years ago.

Former Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board head and Congress leader Riyaz Khan misused Waqf properties for personal gains: In July 2024, the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board issued a notice to Congress leader Riyaz Khan for the recovery of Rs 7 crore. After the complaint, an FIR was also registered against Riyaz in the Kharakuan police station. In its notice issued to Congress leader Riyaz Khan for recovery of siphoned funds to the tune of ₹7 crore 11 lakh, the Waqf Board said that Khan siphoned ₹ 7 crore 11 lakh from the year 2006-07 to the year 2022-23. The Waqf Board constituted an inquiry committee on 2 August 2023 to investigate Riyaz’s tenure.

Sunni Central Waqf Board in UP’s Saharanpur earned undeclared income worth ₹7.5 crore from 183 Bigha land: In June 2024, a case of embezzlement of income tax worth crores from 183 bigha Waqf land in Chilkana in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. A complaint was submitted by a local resident, Hakim Ali. Sunni Central Waqf Board has about 183 bighas of land of Waqf number 322, 121 in Firozabad village. The complaint letter said that this land generates an annual income of about ₹ 50 lakhs. In 15 years, an accounting income of about ₹ 7.5 crores was earned.

Former Mutawalli sold Waqf land worth ₹20 crores fraudulently in UP’s Kanpur: In the Dalelpurva area under Anwarganj Police Station precinct of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a former Mutawalli Shadab Khan illegally sold the Waqf Board’s 5000 square metre land worth ₹ 20 crores. The District Minority Welfare Officer, Pawan Kumar, lodged an FIR against 10 people, including the former Mutawalli, at the Anwarganj police station in June 2024. The matter first came to light after the new Mutawalli Mohammad Wasim took charge.

Waqf Board’s Mutwalli illegally constructed 16 shops on Waqf land and sold them for personal gains in UP’s Amroha: In June 2024, a case of fraud was reported in UP’s Amroha wherein Anwar Sibtain, the Mutawalli of the UP Shia Central Waqf Board Lucknow, first illegally constructed 16 shops on Waqf land and then sold these shops. This enraged the local Shia community. In this sequence, on May 2nd 2023, the Additional Survey Commissioner Waqf UP directed the board to investigate the illegal construction and take action.

Assam Waqf Board transferred Waqf land to private companies in the Cachar district: Back in 2014, an Assam Waqf Board beneficiary, Ataur Rahman Barlaskar, approached the Guwahati High Court alleging that the state waqf board transferred waqf land to private companies in Cachar district. He alleged that waqf properties as vast as 3000 Bighas which included a tea garden in Barak Valley, were illegally transferred to private housing companies. As per the data, the Assam Waqf Board’s total worth in 2014 was ₹15,000 crore, and its annual revenue ranged between ₹50,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, however, government records showed that Waqf properties should generate a revenue of at least ₹ 1000 crore annually.

Illegal transfer of Waqf land in Karnataka: According to a report the Karnataka Waqf board had been allotted 54,000 acres worth Rs 410 lakh crore with 33,741 registered properties in the state, for religious or charitable purposes, however, the former Waqf Board heads misused assets, encroached, unlawfully disposed of, mismanaged, and indulged in fraudulent actions in Gulbarga, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Ramanagaram, and Koppal in collusion with senior Congress politicians.

₹100 crore Waqf land scam in Aurangabad: In Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel, who is currently at the forefront of opposing the now-passed Waqf Amendment Bill, had back in 2021 alleged that Waqf authorities in the city had allowed illegal development and sale of a waqf land on the Jalna Road. It was alleged that illegal transactions in this case were to the tune of ₹ 100 crore. “In 1964, a firm, Kailash Motors, took one lakh square feet of land facing Jalna road on an 11-year lease. When the issue of giving land on long lease in violation of law cropped up in 1995, the waqf authorities and the then waqf board members and Mutawallis prepared a rent agreement in March 1996,” Jaleel said back then.

Rampant Encroachments and Legal Disputes: A significant portion of Waqf properties is under encroachment, leading to numerous legal battles. According to the WAMSI portal, there are currently 58,890 cases of encroachments on Waqf properties. The total number of litigation cases related to Waqf properties stands at 31,999, out of which 16,140 cases are specifically related to encroachments. Among these, 3,165 cases have been filed by Muslim petitioners. Many within the Muslim community believe that the lack of transparency and accountability within Waqf Boards has allowed corrupt officials and vested interests to exploit these assets, depriving the community of its rightful resources.

Litigation and Complaints Across India: The Ministry of Minority Affairs has received numerous complaints and representations regarding encroachments on Waqf properties across India. The scale of these encroachments has reached an alarming level, often with the direct involvement of Waqf Boards. Several cases across different cities highlight the extent of the crisis:

In Bhopal, a Waqf Complex was illegally constructed on government land, and out of 125 registered graveyards, 101 have mysteriously disappeared. In Hyderabad, 765 notices were issued to encroachers in 2021 alone, while Telangana’s Waqf Board, one of India's richest, owns assets worth ₹5 lakh crore, yet 75% of its land is encroached upon. In Mumbai, over 60% of Maharashtra’s Waqf land has been illegally occupied, with the Lal Shah Baba Dargah in Parel, originally spanning 72 acres, now surrounded by residential towers built on Waqf land. In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh government has reported that 78% of the land claimed by the Waqf Board is actually government-owned, and a 1989 government order that illegally registered uncultivable land as Waqf property has been revoked. In Patna, the Bihar Sunni Waqf Board issued a notice claiming ownership of land in the Hindu-majority village of Govindpur, Fatuha, affecting seven Hindu households.

Fear of Speaking Out and Internal Conflicts: The issue has led to growing internal discord within the community as people increasingly realize that the mismanagement of Waqf properties primarily harms Muslims. However, open criticism remains scarce due to social pressures. Several social activists, prominent rationalist Muslim personalities, educationists, and thinkers have highlighted a growing yet unspoken consensus on the urgent need for Waqf law reforms. However, they note that many community leaders hesitate to address the issue publicly, fearing backlash from religious and political groups.

Truth of Muslim Society: The last paragraph succinctly brings out the dynamics within it. It is bossed over by a mafia comprising of Muslim political and religious leadership before which all Muslim thinkers and intellectuals become dumb for, they fear that they would be ostracized. Many reels and V-logs video graph the opinion of ordinary Muslims who not only welcome the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, but also bring out malpractices rampant in Waqf Boards and affirm that Waqf Boards haven’t served the purpose (charity works) for which they were constituted.

What remains to be seen is whether such Muslims who are welcoming the new law for running and administration of Waqf Boards will come together to file a writ petition in a court to challenge the claims of Muslim mafia. If they do, it shall be a huge step forward in achieving freedom for Muslims from their entrenched mafia.

References: 1) OpIndia, 4th April 2025; 2) Indigenousherald (Face of North East India), 9th April 2025