Patna : The passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha has reignited debate over the management and legal status of Waqf properties in Bihar. With over 3,000 properties registered under the Sunni and Shia Waqf Boards, the issue remains contentious, with numerous legal battles pending in the Patna High Court and the Waqf Tribunal.
According to Mohammad Irshadullah, chairman of the Sunni Waqf Board, Bihar has approximately 2,900 Sunni Waqf properties, with more than 300 in Patna alone. Legal disputes over 250 to 300 of these properties are currently before the courts. Meanwhile, Afzal Abbas, chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, states that there are 327 Shia Waqf properties in the state, including 117 in Patna, with 137 cases before the Waqf Tribunal and 37 in the High Court.
The proposed amendment has met with resistance from religious organisations, including Khanqah Munoumiya and Imarat-e-Sharia. Imarat-e-Sharia’s Naib Nazim and Deputy Qazi, Sanaul Hoda Qasmi, has vowed to oppose any political party supporting the bill, arguing that it threatens the integrity of Waqf properties and could lead to their appropriation for government use.
“We will protest across India under the guidance of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. If needed, we will take the matter to court or demonstrate on the streets,” Qasmi said. He claims the bill has 144 problematic provisions, including clauses that could allow external interference in the management of Waqf properties.
