April 3, 2025 : The Waqf Board, India’s custodian of properties dedicated to Islamic religious and charitable purposes, has long been a quiet giant in the nation’s land ownership landscape. But in recent years, it has emerged as a lightning rod for controversy, accused of land grabbing, claiming Hindu temples, and favoring the influential elite over the poor. With the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in Parliament today amid fierce debate, these issues have taken center stage, raising questions about governance, equity, and religious autonomy.
A Sprawling Empire of Land
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking to India Today on April 2, 2025, revealed staggering figures: from 1913 to 2013, the Waqf Board held 18 lakh acres of land. In the last 12 years alone, it added 21 lakh acres, bringing its total to 39 lakh acres—roughly 15.8 million hectares. This makes it India’s third-largest landholder, trailing only the Defence and Railways sectors. Critics point to the 2013 amendments to the Waqf Act as a turning point, granting the Board sweeping powers to claim properties with minimal evidence, often leaving landowners to fight costly legal battles to prove otherwise.
Temples in the Crosshairs
Perhaps the most incendiary charge against the Waqf Board is its alleged encroachment on Hindu religious sites. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during the parliamentary debate (Business Today, April 3, 2025), cited the case of Tamil Nadu’s Sri Chandrasekhara Swamy Temple. This 1800-year-old shrine saw 408 acres of surrounding land claimed by the Waqf Board, forcing villagers—mostly from SC and OBC communities—to seek a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the Board for any land dealings. Similarly, Amit Shah (India TV, April 2, 2025) highlighted the Tiruchendur Temple, a 1500-year-old Chola-era site, where 400 acres were designated Waqf property, sparking outrage over historical legitimacy.
In Maharashtra, the Mahadev Mandir in Kolhapur has been locked in a land dispute with the Board (India TV, April 2, 2025), while in Madhya Pradesh’s Makhni village, a Shivling, homes, and fields in a Hindu-majority area were claimed (OpIndia, March 4, 2025). Though no exhaustive list quantifies how many temples have been targeted, these high-profile cases have fueled a narrative of overreach, alarming Hindu communities and driving calls for reform.
Land Grabbing and Misuse of Power
The Waqf Board’s authority under Section 40 of the 1995 Waqf Act—now amended—allowed it to claim properties without robust proof, a power critics say was ripe for abuse. In Kerala’s Munambam, 404 acres affecting over 600 Christian and Hindu families were claimed (India Today, April 2, 2025), despite decades of residency. Gujarat’s sacred Bet Dwarka site faced similar assertions (X posts, April 3, 2025), as did prime real estate in Lutyens’ Delhi, including parts of the old Parliament building (The Hindu, April 3, 2025). In Karnataka, Shah pointed to a five-star hotel leasing 1,500 acres for a paltry ₹12,000 monthly (India TV, April 2, 2025), underscoring mismanagement and undervaluation.
A Business Today report (April 1, 2025) pegged Waqf-related disputes at 40,951, a testament to governance failures, encroachments, and opacity. The Board’s ability to label properties as “Waqf by User”—a provision scrapped in the 2025 amendment—further inflamed tensions, as oral claims often trumped documented ownership.
The Elite’s Playground?
Beyond land disputes, the Waqf Board faces accusations of serving the powerful rather than the poor it was meant to uplift. Delhi Haj Committee Chairperson Kausar Jahan (The Hindu, March 26, 2025) accused former chief Amanatullah Khan of misusing funds, leaving Imams unpaid while the Board’s coffers grew. Shah revealed that between 2001 and 2012, properties worth ₹2 lakh crore were leased to private entities at nominal rates (India TV, April 2, 2025), a windfall for the elite. In the Rajya Sabha, AAP’s Sanjay Singh (The Hindu, April 3, 2025) decried selective oversight, noting temple property scams go unchecked while Waqf assets are shielded.
A News18 analysis (March 22, 2025) framed the Board as a “land-controlling powerhouse,” its privileges starkly contrasting with state-controlled Hindu temples, whose revenues are often siphoned off. This disparity has deepened public mistrust.
The Road Ahead
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to rein in these excesses—mandating registration, involving non-Muslims in governance, and empowering District Collectors to adjudicate disputes. Yet, opposition parties decry it as an assault on Muslim autonomy, while supporters argue it restores accountability. As India grapples with this complex saga, the Waqf Board remains a symbol of both potential and peril, its vast holdings a mirror to the nation’s unresolved tensions.
