Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. , photo credit: file photo
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the question of confiscating 123 Delhi Waqf Board properties does not arise as their ownership is already with the central government.
The minister’s written response came on a question by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sushil Modi. Mr Modi had asked about the basis of seizure, the representations made by the Board before the two-member committee on the released Waqf properties, as well as the physical inspection and allocation of properties.
“61 Waqf properties are owned by the Land and Development Office and 62 properties are with the Delhi Development Authority,” replied Mr. Puri.
He said that out of these 123 properties, 61 are mosques and the rest include structures like graveyards, dargahs and mazars.
Shri Puri also said that the Board did not make any representation or objection before the Committee on the subject of released Waqf properties. “The Government of India intends to inspect all the 123 properties under consideration. However, the actual physical inspection process is yet to begin. The progress of allotting these properties for other purposes has not been initiated,” he said.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had earlier this year informed the Delhi Waqf Board about acquiring 123 of its properties, after deciding to “vacate” all cases on the listed properties.
In the letter, the ministry said that the board has not filed any representation despite being given several opportunities before the designated committee constituted by the central government to resolve the matter.
The board approached the Delhi High Court to stay the letter, but the latter refused to do so on 23 February.
The decision was taken by a single-judge bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, which asked the board to file an “original” petition and “urge its grounds”.
The court did not dismiss the stay application filed by Delhi Waqf Board chairman Amanatullah Khan and listed the matter for further hearing in August.