The lanes of Shaheen Bagh once a battleground of protests against the Modi government’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) echoed not with slogans of dissent, but with cheers and floral showers as Muslim residents took out a padyatra to celebrate the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, now renamed the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill. This rally marked not just a moment of support for the new law, but a powerful rejection of the decades-old control and alleged corruption perpetuated by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and politically motivated mullahs.
Led by local socio-environmental group Clean Okhla Green Okhla, the padyatra saw participation from over 70 residents of Shaheen Bagh and Okhla, areas historically identified as bastions of Muslim political mobilisation. The march was not just a symbolic gesture — it was a public assertion of a long-overdue demand: transparency, inclusivity, and justice in the management of Waqf properties, which for decades have been shrouded in opacity, encroachments, and mafia control.
Convenor Shahzad Ali Idrisi didn’t mince words: “For too long, self-styled Muslim leaders, the AIMPLB, and political opportunists have hijacked the narrative of our community. Today, Shaheen Bagh has shown that it stands with progress, not with those who exploit Waqf land to fund their empires or incite unrest.”
Idrisi further stated that Muslim women, many of whom had once led anti-CAA protests in the same streets, actively joined the padyatra to express gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing long-awaited reform.
BJP Minority Morcha National President Jamal Siddiqui, who attended as chief guest, conveyed that several Muslims had written thank-you letters for PM Modi and handed them to him to deliver personally. “This is not about politics. This is about reclaiming what belongs to the poor and marginalised in the community — and exposing those who’ve fattened their pockets through Waqf loot,” Siddiqui said.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 — passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha amidst heavy opposition — has brought to the fore the largest property scam in post-Independence India. Waqf properties, donated for religious, social, and charitable use, had become the private fiefdom of politically-connected clerics and middlemen.
On April 5, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the newly named UMEED Bill, formally making it the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The President also signed the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. The new law will come into effect upon official gazette notification by the Union government.
The Union Government, before tabling the amendment, commissioned an extensive nationwide survey. The findings were explosive.
- In Bareilly, a single Waqf registration listed one house, but the physical site contained 21 shops, two houses, and a mosque.
- In Hathras, Waqf land was illegally registered as private in the tehsil records.
- In Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Waqf land worth Rs 5,000 crore generated a mere Rs 5 lakh in revenue. “Influential figures have opened shops and showrooms on prime Waqf land after illegal registries,” admitted State Waqf Board Chairman Salimraj.
- In Bihar, the Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards own property worth billions, yet the income only sustains minor expenses — largely drained by court battles due to rampant encroachments and mismanagement.
The VAMSI digital portal has been flooded with thousands of unverified Waqf properties, yet state Waqf boards, including UP’s Sunni and Shia boards, have failed to verify survey data submitted two years ago. Encroachments in 706 properties in Rajasthan alone have triggered a state-level probe by the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government.
The padyatra was not just in celebration; it was a call to action against the AIMPLB — the same body challenging the new law in the Supreme Court and calling for nationwide protests.
Siddiqui declared: “The AIMPLB has no legal standing, no accountability, and yet it claims to speak for all Muslims. I’ve written to them before to remove the word ‘Board’. Now I will formally request Home Minister Amit Shah to investigate their finances, activities, and role in misguiding Muslims.”
The organisation, originally formed to provide religious guidance, is now accused of sabotaging reform, protecting illegal Waqf occupations, and aligning with extremist elements to provoke the community against the state. “The Owaisis and Madanis fear losing control. The poor Muslims of this country want jobs, education, and secure housing — not endless protests,” Idrisi said.
The new law mandates inclusion of backward Muslims, women, and members from all sects in Waqf Boards — a move lauded by social reformers and rejected only by elite religious bodies fearing a dilution of their monopoly. “This is the most important clause in the new law,” Idrisi added. “For the first time, decision-making power will be with the people — not a few politically appointed clerics.”
The Union Government is now planning mass awareness programmes across the country to educate the Muslim community about the real intentions and benefits of the new law — challenging the misinformation peddled by AIMPLB and opposition parties.
