ISLAMABAD: More than 12,000 waqf properties covering an area tens of thousands acres have been deregistered by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, raising serious concerns over religious rights and minority protection, Rights Group Indian American Muslim Council flagged on Monday.
According to reports, the large-scale cancellations emerged following an audit of nearly 100,000 waqf properties uploaded to a government digitization portal. Authorities claimed that many registrations were rejected due to incomplete documentation and data entry errors.
However, critics argue that the sweeping nature of the move has disproportionately impacted Muslim religious endowments, including mosques, graveyards, madrasas and other community assets.
Waqf properties, which are charitable religious endowments under Islamic law, play a critical role in supporting community welfare, education and religious practices.
Reports indicate that graveyards and mosques account for a significant portion of the affected properties, with some districts witnessing hundreds of cancellations.
The audit is part of a broader digitization initiative linked to the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which mandates registration of such properties on a centralized portal.
While officials maintain that the exercise is intended to improve transparency and governance, rights groups and observers say the process has been marked by technical glitches, tight deadlines and administrative hurdles, making compliance difficult for many institutions.
The cancellations have sparked fears of dispossession and loss of religious spaces among affected communities.
Advocacy groups have described the move as part of a wider pattern of marginalization, warning that the deregistration of such a large number of waqf properties could undermine the constitutional protections afforded to religious minorities in India.
Affected institutions have reportedly been asked to reapply with corrected documentation before a government-imposed deadline, but concerns remain over whether smaller or resource-constrained bodies will be able to meet these requirements in time.
The developments have intensified debate over the balance between administrative reform and the safeguarding of minority rights, with calls growing for greater transparency, accountability and independent oversight in the handling of waqf properties.
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