Waqf’s 6-year-old notice claiming campus mosque land sparks tension at Uttar Pradesh college

VARANASI: Even as the joint parliamentary committee scrutinising the waqf amendment bill has been granted more time to present its report, a six-year-old notice from UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, claiming ownership of a mosque and its land on the campus of 115-year-old Udai Pratap College in Varanasi, triggered a fresh controversy on Friday.
While the college management had promptly replied to the notice within a fortnight, dismissing the Sunni board's claim, tension built up after a larger than usual number of ‘namazis' assembled on the campus to offer Friday prayers.
"Usually 10-15 people come to offer namaz in the mosque within the college premises, but more than 300 arrived today," a college employee told TOI.
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Cops promptly rushed to the college after some members of the students union informed them. There was a build-up from both sides, and a police force was quickly deployed to prevent any untoward incident. Additional DCP (Varuna zone) T Sarvanan and ACP Vidhush Saxena were present on the campus with a heavy police force and PAC to ensure that the namaz was offered peacefully.
"The situation is calm and peaceful in the locality. The notice in question is from 2018 and the college administration had responded with evidence," the ADCP said. Principal D K Singh said the waqf board had sent a notice to the college on Dec 6, 2018. The then secretary of the college sent a response on Dec 21, 2018, stating that the land claimed belonged to an endowment trust.
"The land can neither be bought nor sold and if there is any kind of ownership right, then it ends. After this reply, there was no further correspondence by the Sunni board," the principal added.
Singh mentioned that "undesirable elements", who still claimed the land to be owned by the waqf board, later tried to get some construction work done in the mosque, but "we took action and got the construction material removed with the help of police". The electricity of the shrine was also cut as it was stolen from the college, he added.
Also read: Sunni Waqf Board stakes claims toportion of 115-yr-old Kashi college
A member of the mosque committee, however, maintained that the campus mosque and its land was waqf property. "Chhoti Masjid is the property of Nawab Tonk," said Munawar Siraj. He denied that the waqf board had claimed the entire land of the college. "Only a small portion where the mosque is situated is waqf property, where locals continue to offer namaz peacefully even today," he said, adding that there was no objection by the college administration to offering prayers.
College founded in 1909
Rajarshi Udai Pratap Singh Judev had founded the Hewett Kshatriya High School in Varanasi in 1909, which later developed into Udai Pratap Singh Autonomous College. Recently, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath took part in the foundation day function of the college.