Swami Jitendranand Saraswati demands investigation of Waqf land ownership, calls for Waqf Act to be abolished

Varanasi. The controversy surrounding the Waqf Act of 1995 continues to grow as the central government's recent action to take over 123 Waqf properties in Delhi has sparked renewed calls for the act to be repealed. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti have joined forces to urge the government to take action, claiming that the act infringes upon the constitution's right to equality.

Last October, a gathering of influential religious figures from different parts of the country took place at the NDMC Convention Center to create a strategy for advancing their demand for the repeal of the controversial act. With the Ministry of Urban Development's announcement of its intention to take control of Waqf properties, the Sant Samaj is intensifying its efforts to push the central government to repeal the law.

The pressure on the government is mounting, and the outcome of this controversy remains uncertain. Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, General Secretary of the Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, has called for an immediate repeal of the act and an investigation into whether those who donated the lands were entitled to it or not.

"There are 108,000 Waqf properties located throughout the country. Prior to the 2014 elections, the central government had transferred 123 Delhi properties to the Delhi Waqf Board. Similarly, various leaders in the country have obtained the hard-earned land of the people by using the Waqf board's name. For example, in 1989, Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered the transfer of barren land and land similar to that of a Gram Sabha in Uttar Pradesh to the name of the Waqf as soon as he became Chief Minister. However, the current Yogi government has ovsrturned this and given the land to the Gram Sabha. Such practices have occurred throughout the country." Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, added further.