Delhi Waqf Board moves HC against Centre's decision to take over 123 waqf properties: Amanatullah Khan

The Delhi Waqf Board has moved the High Court against the Centre's decision to take over 123 Waqf properties, Board chairman Amanatullah Khan said on Monday.

He alleged that the Congress was responsible for the dispute.

Asserting that the 123 properties are with the Board for long, Khan alleged that the Centre was bypassing the law and courts to "occupy it forcibly".

The Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) recently decided to take over 123 properties of the Delhi Waqf Board, including mosques, dargah and graveyards, based on the report of a two-member committee.

Khan said the report of the committee was not shared with the Waqf Board, and added that a case challenging its formation was already pending in the Delhi High Court.

"It reflects how the Centre is acting these days. We will not allow them to occupy Waqf Board properties. We have approached the High Court challenging the L&DO notice and a hearing is likely in two-three days," Khan said at a press conference.

The deputy L&DO in a letter to Khan on February 8 had informed about the decision to absolve the Delhi Waqf Board from all matters related to the 123 properties based on the two member committee report.

Khan accused the Congress for the entire "dispute".

"The Congress government in 1980s notified all these 123 properties for lease to the Delhi Waqf Board at a rate of one rupee per acre. This was challenged by the Indraprasth Vishwa Hindu Parishad in court and the move was stayed," Khan said.

All these properties, 90 per cent of which are mosques, should ideally have been handed over to the Waqf Board, he said.

Again, before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the Congress-led UPA government de-notified these 123 properties. The VHP again approached the court and the HUA was directed by it to decide the matter, he said.

The Ministry earlier formed a one-member committee and later the two-member panel but reports of these committee were not shared with the Waqf Board, he claimed.

"The dispute was created by the Congress and it has betrayed us," Khan charged.

He asserted that the 123 properties including mosques, Dargah and graveyards were being used by the Muslim community and they would not be allowed to be occupied by the Centre.

He also rejected the two-member committee's claim that the Delhi Waqf Board did not present its view regarding the 123 properties.

A case was filed in the High Court challenging the formation of the two-member committee and it was also informed about the same with a request to hold its proceedings, Khan added.