The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to revive its nationwide Tahaffuz-e-Awqaf (Protection of Waqf) campaign, suspended earlier due to the sensitive national situation and the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
The board is preparing for a series of public programmes and rallies across India, aiming to counter what it calls “systematic encroachment and government overreach” into waqf properties following amendments to the Waqf Act.
Addressing the media, Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, national spokesperson of the AIMPLB and convener of the All India Tahaffuz-e-Awqaf Committee, said the campaign is being resumed after May 16 with renewed urgency.
“After Operation Sindoor and the emergency-like atmosphere in the country, we had postponed all public meetings and dharnas. But the threat to waqf properties remains real and urgent. The government is creating confusion, and we are duty-bound to counter it with facts and public mobilization,” said Dr. Ilyas.
The board has finalised a detailed blueprint of public outreach programs under the Waqf Bachao Andolan banner. The campaign will begin with region-specific rallies and public meetings. A women-focused meeting will be held in Hyderabad on May 22, followed by events in Nizamabad (Telangana) on May 30, Jalgaon (Maharashtra) on May 23, Nanded on May 24, and Aurangabad on May 25.
The board will place special emphasis on Bihar, which is headed for assembly elections. The AIMPLB has tasked Imarat-e-Sharia (Bihar-Odisha-Jharkhand) with organizing awareness programs in Patna, Araria, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Saharsa, Madhubani, Siwan, and Darbhanga.
“Bihar is electorally important, and it also has a large number of waqf properties under threat. People need to be made aware of their rights before the state goes to polls,” Dr. Ilyas explained.
Preparations for similar mass mobilization drives are underway in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
The campaign targets the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, passed by the Central government and further tightened in subsequent years, most notably with administrative changes and increased government control over waqf properties.
Under the amended law the Waqf Board’s autonomy is curtailed, allowing state and central governments more influence over the management of waqf properties. Section 52A gives the government powers to remove waqf property managers or “mutawallis” under vague conditions.Section 4 allows for survey and reclassification of waqf lands, leading to alleged wrongful inclusion or exclusion.
“These amendments are not administrative improvements. They are part of a long-term design to seize community assets, particularly those located in prime urban locations,” said Dr. Ilyas. “We are not against regulation, but we are against the erosion of community ownership.”
The AIMPLB’s move comes amid growing concern within the Muslim community about alleged encroachments on waqf properties and the increasing centralization of their administration. Legal experts and minority rights activists have also flagged issues around lack of transparency and inadequate representation on state waqf boards.
The board emphasized that its campaign is peaceful, legal, and aimed at informing the public. “We will organize peaceful rallies, distribute literature, hold public discussions and raise awareness. This is not just about Muslims. This is about safeguarding one of the largest charitable land holdings in the country,” said Dr. Ilyas.
The Tahaffuz-e-Awqaf campaign, which had seen significant participation during its initial phase last year, is now set to gain traction once again, especially in poll-bound states. With heightened political and communal sensitivities in the backdrop, the board’s outreach could trigger wider debates over minority rights and state interference in religious endowments.
