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- UP Varanasi College Land Controversy; Waqf Board Property | Yogi Adityanath
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A controversy has arisen regarding a mosque built in Uday Pratap College in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. A large number of people came here last Friday to offer Namaz. In protest against this, on December 2, students started reciting Hanuman Chalisa at the college gate.
When the situation went out of control, the police reached the spot and detained 7 students. Police are still deployed inside and outside the college. However, the protesting students say that if Namaji enters the college again, there will be a bigger movement.
‘Earlier 20-25 people used to come to offer Namaz, on Friday 900 people came.’
This whole controversy started after an old notice of UP Sunni Waqf Board went viral.
Actually, the 115 year old Uday Pratap College is built on about 100 acres in Bhojubir area of Varanasi. There is a small mosque in the college campus, where some people come for long hours to offer namaz. CM Yogi Adityanath had come to the college on 25th November, the foundation day of the college. He announced that more than 25 thousand students study in this college, hence it should be given the status of university.
After this announcement, a 6-year-old notice of the UP Sunni Waqf Board started going viral, in which the mosque was described as the property of the Waqf Board.
College student union president Sudhir Singh, who participated in Monday’s protest, says,
The intention behind making the notice viral was to spread the news that when the college does not have its own property, the college is the property of the Waqf Board, then how can it be given the status of a university. Whereas the college had rejected the claim of Waqf Board in 2018 itself.
On December 2, students read Hanuman Chalisa at the college gate.
Students burnt the effigy of Waqf Board, read Hanuman Chalisa
According to college principal DK Singh, earlier a limited number of people used to come here to offer namaz, but last Friday a large number of people came to the campus to offer namaz. Sudhir Singh says, ‘On Friday, November 29, suddenly 800 to 900 people from the entire district came to the mosque to offer namaz. Usually only a few people from the college staff and their relatives used to come to offer Namaz. This number used to be 20-25. The college was turned into an arena of crusade. The students got angry at this and protested.
Sudhir says, ‘On December 2, we burnt the effigy of the Waqf Board. After this, Hanuman Chalisa was recited at the main gate of the college. We also wrote letters to all social organizations and saints saying that if Namazis come to the college, we will be forced to launch a big movement. We have received the support of many organizations including Varanasi Bar Association and Central Bar Association.
In 2018, the Waqf Board had declared the mosque as Waqf property in its notice.
On December 6, 2018, Aale Atiq, assistant secretary of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, had sent a notice to UP College under the Waqf Act 1995. Wasim Ahmed Khan, resident of Bhojubir Tehsil Sadar, had sent the registry letter of this notice.
In this the college administration was told, ‘The small mosque of the college is the property of Nawab Tonk. The Nawab had given it to the Waqf, hence it is the property of the Waqf and it should be taken into possession. If no response is given by the college within 15 days, then the college’s objection will not be heard after that. Then this notice was replied to by the college.
UN Sinha, the then secretary of the UP College Education Committee, had replied on December 21 that the college was established in 1909 under the Charitable Endowment Act. According to DK Singh, Principal of Uday Pratap College, UN Sinha had said in his reply to the Waqf Board that the land of Endowment Trust can neither be bought nor sold and even if there is any kind of ownership, then the Act. Through this this right is lost.
This is the reply which was sent by the college to the Waqf Board.
Some people wanted to renovate the mosque
According to DK Singh, ‘This is the action of some undesirable element who is now claiming the college land as the land of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board. There is no mention of the mosque anywhere in the paper description of the complex.
According to DK Singh, after the reply from the college, no further letter was sent by the board. However, some people wanted to get some construction work done in the mosque, on which the college took action and got the construction material removed with the help of the police. In 2022 itself, the police was told that no construction work could be done on the campus.
The college had also cut off the electricity to the shrine because electricity was being used illegally at the shrine by stealing it from the college itself. At that time also the board had sent a notice, but the then principal and secretary had actively responded to it.
Letter written by DK Singh to the police administration on 9 November 2022
Wasim Ahmed Khan, who made the claim, has passed away
According to media reports, Wasim Ahmed Khan, resident of Bhojubeer, died in 2023 at the age of 75. In 2022, Wasim Ahmed had told the Waqf Board that now his health is not good, hence he cannot plead the case.
It is told in the history of the mosque that during the rebellion of 1857, the British had put the Nawab of Tonk under house arrest here. Some of his people had settled here because of him and the Nawab had built a big mosque and a small mosque for them. There is a small mosque in the campus of UP College.
Exams going on in college, students said, ‘If Namazi comes, we will protest’
Semester exams are going on in the college from December 2. The college management says that the college and administration are fully prepared to conduct the exams properly. Students are being given entry inside the main gate only after checking their ID cards.
An appeal has been made to the students and staff to maintain peace. Every activity is being monitored. DK Singh says that the college also wants that only limited numbers of people should come to offer Namaz. In view of the exam and to offer namaz peacefully, the Varanasi police administration has deployed forces in the campus.
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