Waqf Bill will open new avenues for development of Muslim: Danish Ansari

Lucknow, April 3 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Minority Affairs Minister Danish Ansari on Thursday claimed that the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will open new avenues for the development of Muslims.

Talking to IANS, he pointed out positive changes the Bill will usher in the lives of Muslims, who celebrated its passage in the Lok Sabha with the distribution of sweets.

He shared that if the said Bill becomes legislation, it will ensure proper auditing of the Waqf Board, remove encroachments and lead to representation of the Pasmanda Muslims in the board, benefiting the community.

"This bill was the need of the hour and will stop people who occupied properties of the Waqf, considered God's property, as their personal and misused it," the Minister further said.

Launching a scathing attack at the opposition leaders, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Akbaruddin Owaisi, who said the day of the Waqf Amendment Bill's passage in the Lok Sabha will be remembered as a 'Black Day' and it is unconstitutional, Ansari said these people cannot see development of Pasmanda Muslims.

Claiming "mismanagement" of Waqf properties, he said: "All such properties in the country are valued at Rs 1.25 lakh crore, which should generate a revenue of over Rs 1,250 crore annually. But currently, it is generating only Rs 150 crore in revenue. Around Rs 1,100 crore is going into whose pockets."

"The right amount of revenue could have led to the opening of more than 800 colleges every year for Muslim youths, 300 hospitals and hundreds of skill development centres," he further said.

Sharing the data of Waqf properties in few districts of Uttar Pradesh, Ansari said: "In every district of Uttar Pradesh, there are thousands of Waqf properties, Bijnor (4697), Balrampur (4,248), Moradabad (3295) Lucknow (3072), Muzaffarnagar (3606), Aligarh (1400) and Kasganj (575)."

Ansari urged Muslims of the area to inspect how many such places have been transformed into charitable properties.

Hailing the amendment, he said: "It was needed for a Viksit Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood this and dedicated it for the welfare of Muslims. Modi government is following Allah's will, but a section of people are trying to manipulate Muslims."

--IANS

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