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ISLAMABAD: More than 12,000 waqf properties covering an area tens of thousands acres have been deregistered by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, raising serious concerns over religious rights and minority protection, Rights Group Indian American Muslim Council flagged on Monday. According to reports, the large-scale cancellations emerged following an audit of nearly 100,000 waqf properties uploaded to a government digitization portal. Authorities claimed that many registrations were rejected due to incomplete documentation and data entry errors.&nbsp;However, critics argue that the sweeping nature of the move has disproportionately impacted Muslim religious endowments, including mosques, graveyards, madrasas and other community assets.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048533799001354480&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=11100eefb450a3c6a8defbf4650f47b51c17189d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Waqf properties, which are charitable religious endowments under Islamic law, play a critical role in supporting community welfare, education and religious practices.&nbsp; Reports indicate that graveyards and mosques account for a significant portion of the affected properties, with some districts witnessing hundreds of cancellations.&nbsp;The audit is part of a broader digitization initiative linked to the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which mandates registration of such properties on a centralized portal.&nbsp; While officials maintain that the exercise is intended to improve transparency and governance, rights groups and observers say the process has been marked by technical glitches, tight deadlines and administrative hurdles, making compliance difficult for many institutions.&nbsp; The cancellations have sparked fears of dispossession and loss of religious spaces among affected communities.&nbsp; Advocacy groups have described the move as part of a wider pattern of marginalization, warning that the deregistration of such a large number of waqf properties could undermine the constitutional protections afforded to religious minorities in India. Affected institutions have reportedly been asked to reapply with corrected documentation before a government-imposed deadline, but concerns remain over whether smaller or resource-constrained bodies will be able to meet these requirements in time.&nbsp; The developments have intensified debate over the balance between administrative reform and the safeguarding of minority rights, with calls growing for greater transparency, accountability and independent oversight in the handling of waqf properties.

India

India’s BJP-led UP government deregisters over 12,000 Waqf properties, including mosques and graveyards, raising fears of dispossession, minority marginalization and religious persecution.

India deregisters over 12,000 Waqf properties in UP, fueling persecution concerns

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday expressed dismay over what she described as the &ldquo;latest blow&rdquo; against Muslims, following the discovery that thousands of &quot;waqf&quot; properties are missing from the government&#39;s newly-launched UMEED portal. A &quot;waqf&quot; property is an endowment made by a Muslim for charitable or religious purposes, such as to build mosques, schools, or hospitals. It cannot be sold, gifted, or inherited. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs had launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED) Central Portal on June 6, according to an Indian media report. The portal allows real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties, with a six-month completion window that ended on Dec. 6. Taking to X, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said the missing entries raised serious questions about the transparency and protection of waqf assets. Over 355,000 properties &lsquo;missing&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Over 3.55 lakh [0.355 million] Waqf properties are missing nationwide, with J&amp;K [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] alone losing 7,240 entries in the new UMEED database. With a pattern of violence, demolitions, and disenfranchisement, the erosion of Waqf land feels like the latest blow against the Muslims. Where does this end?&rdquo; she asked.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999367520575541481&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=cad3ec674a503953b5b01415ad8d8ae925acc18e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Mufti uploaded a document highlighting the differences in registered waqf properties over a one-year period, from December 2024 to December 2025. Drop in Waqf properties&nbsp;The data reveals that Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir had 32,533 registered properties on December 9, 2024, which dropped to 25,293 by December 7 this year. Uttar Pradesh recorded the largest decrease, with Sunni Waqf properties falling from 217,161 to 86,345 during the same period. The All India Muslim Waqf Board has requested an extension from the government to register properties on the UMEED portal, according to the report. Controversial new act&nbsp;The new Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which came into force in April 2025 after heated debates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, faced opposition from several parties and Muslim bodies. In September, the Supreme Court declined to suspend the act entirely but put on hold certain provisions, including empowering district collectors to determine property ownership and restricting the creation of waqf deeds to lawful Muslim property owners of at least five years&rsquo; standing, pending further judicial scrutiny. The PDP chief&rsquo;s concerns underscore rising anxiety over the management and safeguarding of waqf properties in India.

India’s Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti. (File Photo: X via @MehboobaMufti)

Says ‘Over 3.55 lakh [0.355 million] Waqf properties are missing nationwide, with J&K [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir} alone losing 7,240 entries in the new UMEED database.’

Articles tagged with "Waqf Properties in India"

India deregisters over 12,000 Waqf properties in UP, fueling persecution concerns

India's Mehbooba Mufti raises alarm over ‘missing’ waqf properties on government portal