Humayun's Tomb, Maha Kumbh land and more: 10 bizarre claims by Waqf, third largest landowner in India

In 2010, the Delhi Waqf Board claimed ownership of Humayun's Tomb.

As the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said "Parliament building we are sitting in could have been claimed as Waqf property" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not come into power.

While introducing the Waqf Bill in the Lower House, Kiren Rijiju said, "A case ongoing since 1970 in Delhi involved several properties, including the CGO Complex and the Parliament building. The Delhi Waqf Board had claimed these as Waqf properties. The case was in court, but at that time, the UPA government denotified 123 properties and handed them over to the Waqf Board. If we had not introduced this amendment today, even the Parliament building we are sitting in could have been claimed as Waqf property. If PM Modi Govt did not come into power, several properties would have been de-notified..."

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill aims to amend a 1995 Act governing Waqf properties in India. The amendments, the Centre has said, are aimed at improving the management of Waqf properties in the country.

Also Read: ‘Parliament would have been Waqf property if…’: Govt vs opposition in Lok Sabha over Waqf Bill; who said what

Waqf - Third largest landowner in India

Waqf Boards across the country currently control 8.7 lakh properties covering 9.4 lakh acres, with an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh crore. India has the largest Waqf holding in the world. The boards are also the country's third largest landowners after the Armed Forces and Indian Railways. There are a total of 30 Waqf Boards in India.

Of the 8.7 lakh waqf assets, 356,051 are registered as waqf estates, 872,328 are immovable properties, and 16,713 are movable properties, according to a report by Business Today.

Properties claimed by Waqf Boards

From key properties in Delhi to an entire village in Tamil Nadu, over the years, the Waqf Boards have laid claims on several properties across the country.

Over 200 properties in Delhi, under the control of two different central government agencies, had been declared as Waqf properties, found top government officials had found, PTI reported. Among the properties that were declared as Waqf’s, 108 were under the control of Land and Development Office (L&DO), and 138 were under the control of Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

Here's a list of some of the key properties claimed by Waqf:

- Humayun's Tomb: In 2010, the Delhi Waqf Board claimed ownership of Humayun's Tomb, asserting that it was among over 150 heritage properties under unauthorized possession of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

- Mughal Mosque in Qutub Minar Complex: The Delhi Waqf Board has sought permission for offering namaz at the Mughal Mosque within the Qutub Minar complex, claiming historical precedence.

- 123 properties in Lutyens' Delhi: In 2014, the outgoing UPA government handed over 123 properties, mostly in Lutyens' zone, to the Delhi Waqf Board. This decision was later scrutinized, and in 2018, the NDA government formed a panel to examine the ownership claims of these properties.

- Maha Kumbh Land in Prayagraj: In January 2025, local Muslim groups in Prayagraj claimed that the land where the Maha Kumbh Mela is held belongs to the Waqf Board, leading to controversy.

- Government properties in Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh government had revealed that 78 percent of the land claimed by the Waqf Board in the state is actually government-owned, indicating potential overreach in the Board's claims.

- In Tamil Nadu's Thiruchenthurai village, a farmer named Rajagopal found himself unable to sell his agricultural land to repay a loan after the Waqf Board laid claim to the entire village. The sale required a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Board, leading to both financial and emotional distress.

- In Surat, the Waqf Board staked claim to the Municipal Corporation building, arguing it had historically functioned as a sarai for pilgrims during the Mughal era. While the property had since come under British control and was eventually transferred to the Indian government after independence, the Gujarat Waqf Board insisted that because ownership was never formally updated, the property still belonged to the waqf. The Board reiterated its legal position with the statement: “once a Waqf, always a Waqf.”

- Waqf Board reportedly laid claim on around 400-odd acres of land at Munambam in Ernakulam district, Kerala, which has mainly been in the possession of Christian residents for generations, triggering mass protests from the by the residents.

- The Waqf Board claimed the Eidgah ground as waqf property in Bengaluru, stating its status dated back to the 1850s. According to government records, there had been no official title transfer to any Muslim organisation, yet the Board maintains the land remains permanently waqf.

- An unusual claim also emerged in Devbhoomi Dwarka, where the Waqf Board attempted to assert ownership over two islands in Bet Dwarka. The Gujarat High Court, reportedly perplexed by the petition, refused to hear the application and asked the Board to revise it. The judge questioned how the Waqf could claim "land in Krishnanagri", according to a report by Business Today.