As part of the Waqf Amendment Act Awareness Campaign in Agartala, Tripura MP Biplab Kumar Deb highlights its potential to ensure equitable benefits.
Agartala April 17: Despite Waqf holding the third-largest property portfolio in India, after Indian Railways and the Army, only a select few have benefited from its vast resources, leaving the majority of the Muslim community marginalized, said MP Biplab Kumar Deb.
He was speaking at the Waqf Amendment Act Awareness Campaign hosted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tripura Pradesh at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering at the Waqf Amendment Act Awareness Campaign, Biplab Kumar Deb championed the Central Government’s Waqf Amendment Act, describing it as a transformative step to ensure equitable benefits for India’s Muslim community.
The Act, aimed at addressing decades of mismanagement and exclusion, seeks to redirect Waqf’s vast resources—valued as the third-largest property portfolio in India—toward the welfare of ordinary Muslims.
Deb underscored the stark disparity in Waqf’s utilization, citing the 2006 Sachar Committee report, which exposed that 80% of Waqf land was unethically controlled by a small elite, leaving the broader Muslim population without benefits. Yet, for political gains, Congress sacrificed the interests of the larger community to appease a small section.
Deb said, while Waqf properties generate an annual income of 126 to 150 crore, Indian Railways earns 2.4 lakh crore and creates 12.5 lakh jobs.
In contrast, Waqf properties generate negligible income and lack initiatives like medical colleges or other public welfare measures.
He also took a dig at the Congress and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
“The Congress government prioritised political appeasement over the community’s welfare,” Deb charged, accusing Nehru and his successors of enabling systemic misuse.
“The Congress government prioritised political appeasement over the community’s welfare,” Deb charged, accusing Nehru and his successors of enabling systemic misuse.
Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Waqf Amendment Act Awareness Campaign, Deb said that 50% of Waqf properties are in Uttar Pradesh, yet there is no significant opposition or unrest against the bill there.
However, in West Bengal, Mamata is allegedly trying to create a riot-like situation to divert attention from the loss of 26,000 jobs, which he claimed people will not forgive.
“The people will not forgive such divisive tactics,” Deb warned, contrasting Mamata’s approach with the Central Government’s commitment to transparency.
“The people will not forgive such divisive tactics,” Deb warned, contrasting Mamata’s approach with the Central Government’s commitment to transparency.
Reflecting on his tenure as Tripura’s Chief Minister, Deb highlighted the state’s allocation of Rs 90 lakh for a mosque in Sonamura, contrasting it with the Congress-era 2013 amendment that allowed Waqf property claims without compensation or representation for ordinary Muslims.
The new Act, he emphasized, will include three women representatives on Waqf Boards and ensure legal aid and broader participation, particularly for marginalized Muslims in states like Bihar.
Deb raised eyebrows with a pointed question about Waqf’s mismanagement: “If Delhi’s Mansingh Hotel generates 150 crore annually in rent, how can a prime Bengaluru property be leased for just Rs 12,000 a month?”
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He criticized the Congress and Samajwadi Party for perpetuating such inefficiencies. Deb also demanded action against recent unrest in Kailashahar over opposition to the Act.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Deb called the Waqf Amendment Act a historic milestone that will empower ordinary Muslims, curb corruption, and align Waqf’s resources with public welfare.
