SC bars UP government for interfering in Waqf issues

New Delhi, 02 May 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: Staying a two month old order of the Allahabad High court, which gave license to government to initiate actions against madrassas and mosques that violated the construction norms the Uttar Pradesh Government no will not be able to reclaim Wakf properties, including mosques and madrasas, registered with the Sunni or Shia Waqf Board.

The Supreme Court has stayed a two-month-old order of the Allahabad High Court, which had threatened action from government on mosques and madrasas that either stood on agricultural land or stood transferred as Waqf property by tenure holders having no actual ownership over the lands in question.

The Allahabad High Court verdict of February 23, 2018 directly affected the property owned by Waqf Board in the State. The UP Sunni Waqf Board and the Jamait Ulema-e-Hind approached the apex court with a prayer for staying the directions. The High Court even directed the State to act on its orders and report compliance in three months, latest by May 28, 2018.

The Bench of Justices Kurian Joseph, M Mohan Shantanagouder and Navin Sinha of the apex court stayed the operative portions of the judgment that had asked State authorities to proceed against the erring mosques and madrasas. The court felt the order had serious ramifications and hence required to be heard at length.