BJP MP wants action on Waqf property registrations in tribal areas

Jaipur: BJP MP Mannalal Rawat Monday urged chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to take prompt action to delist disputed properties from the Rajasthan Waqf Board registry and prevent further land donations to Waqf in Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) areas.

"The recent amendments to the Waqf Act clearly bar property registrations in TSP regions," Rawat said, adding that "maintaining such entries violates the constitutional safeguards provided to tribal communities."

In his letter to the CM, Rawat highlighted various constitutional provisions that protect tribal land rights, noting, "Transferring or assigning land to the Waqf board in these regions compromises the legal and customary entitlements of the tribal population."

The Udaipur Lok Sabha MP pointed out that Rajasthan currently has over 17,500 properties listed under the Waqf board, of which approximately 2,700 are located in TSP areas.

The MP also referenced his earlier communication from Sept 2024, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the governors of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In those letters, he demanded the Waqf Act to be declared null and void in all TSP zones. "I shared examples of how Waqf land is diluting tribal culture by introducing religious practices entirely unrelated to tribal traditions," Rawat said. He alleged that numerous new shrines and graveyards were established over the past decade in predominantly tribal areas, raising concerns over encroachment and cultural erosion.

Rawat has urged the govt to issue directives to district magistrates across TSP districts, ensuring that no land deeds intended for Waqf use are processed. "Even properties already registered — including several hundred bighas in Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur, Sirohi and Pratapgarh — must be reclaimed and repurposed for the welfare of economically weaker sections within the Muslim community," he added.

He criticised Waqf committees operating in these areas, accusing them of mismanagement and failing to develop meaningful infrastructure such as schools, hospitals or community centres. "These lands should serve the underprivileged and not be controlled by land mafias hiding behind religious institutions," Rawat asserted.