Controversy Erupts Over Waqf Board's Claim On Land Of 115-Year-Old Udai Pratap College Land In Varanasi

A massive controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after resurfacing of a six-year old letter by UP Sunni Central Waqf Board staking claim on a land on which a 115-year-old college is situated.

The claim, originally made in 2018, resurfaced amid the ongoing debate on the Central government's proposed Waqf Amendment Bill.

The Waqf Board has reportedly asserted that a mosque on the Udai Pratap College campus and nearby land, spanning over 100 acres, are Waqf properties.

According to the notice issued to college by the board in 2018, Choti Masjid and the associated property within the college were endowed to Waqf by the Nawab of Tonk, and therefore should come under the board’s control.

However, the college administration has strongly refuted this, saying that the land belongs to a charitable endowment and cannot be transferred or sold.

Responding to the notice at the time, the college authorities stated that Udai Pratap College was established in 1909 under the Charitable Endowment Act, and rejected the Waqf Board's claims.

The college currently has over 17,000 students.

Uday Pratap college principal D K Singh explained that the notice was sent by Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan, to which the then-college secretary responded.

"The notice came from Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan. At that time, the then-secretary of the college had responded to the notice. In response to the notice, it was said that the mosque was built illegally, while the property of the college belongs to the trust, it can neither be bought nor sold," he added.

According to the college management, no further move was taken by the board for years after their reply.

However, in 2022, there was an attempt by the Waqf Board to carry out construction at the mosque, which was halted by the police following a complaint from the college, Singh said.

Principal D K Singh further claimed that electricity to the shrine was disconnected because the power being used there was "illegally stolen" from the college.

The original notice was issued by Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan, who passed away in 2022.

Although no subsequent actions were taken by the Waqf Board, the issue has resurfaced amid discussions surrounding the upcoming Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament.

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