Centre Takes Back 123 Waqf Properties, AAP Reacts to Move

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has pasted notices outside 123 properties in Delhi including mosques, dargahs, cemetery, denotifying them as properties of the Delhi Waqf Board.

These 123 properties were provided to Delhi Waqf Board by the previous Congress government before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) approached the court as these properties were in prominent places in the national capital.

While the matter was in court, two committees were formed to hear all the affected stakeholders– one being a ‘one-member committee’ and the other a ‘two-member committee’ comprising Justice S P Garg, former judge, Delhi High Court and Radha Charam, SDM (Retd) to submit its report.

As per the notice, the 2-member committee submitted its report saying “Delhi Waqf Board was the main stakeholder to whom the opportunity was given by the committee as per the terms of reference. However the board opted not to appear before the court”.

It further said that the “Delhi Waqf Board did not file any objection to the public notice issued by the two-member committee within the prescribed time. Another opportunity was also given to the board to present their case in support of their claim to 123 properties as waqf properties”.

The committee later formed its view that the board is neither interested in these properties nor is filing any objection therefore decided to absolve Delhi Waqf Board from all matters pertaining to 123 Waqf properties.

The committee also mentioned that the physical inspection of these properties should be carried out. Now after the notice, the Delhi Waqf Board is in process of writing an official letter to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The board has also challenged the formation of the 2-member committee.

“The Centre has no right to issue these notices. We are in process of challenging it in the court,”’ said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Okhla and Delhi Waqf Board chief Amanatullah Khan.

Shahid Rizvi, a person who is in the know of the matter tells CNN-News18 that the matter continues since 2004 and a survey was also carried out. “Previous UPA government provided these properties to Delhi Waqf Board after a report from a one-member committee before 2014 elections which later was challenged in the court by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.”