Authorities in Ujjain, a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, demolished nearly 250 properties, including homes, shops, and a century-old mosque, to clear a 2.1-hectare (5.27-acre) area. The land, owned by the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board, was designated for religious and charitable purposes. Despite this, the government proceeded with the demolitions to make way for the Mahakal Corridor, a $1 billion development project surrounding the city’s Mahakaleshwar Temple. This action has sparked widespread debate, particularly within India’s Muslim community, which manages the most significant number of waqf properties globally.

The demolition in Ujjain is viewed by some activists and legal experts as part of a broader trend of government interference in waqf affairs. Critics point to a 1985 government document that identifies the site as a Muslim graveyard, where a mosque large enough to accommodate 2,000 worshippers once stood. Over time, politically connected developers encroached upon the land, illegally selling plots for residential use. When the government moved to reclaim the land, it ignored prior records and proceeded without securing the necessary approval from the state waqf board.

India, home to over 200 million Muslims, possesses over 872,000 waqf assets covering nearly 405,000 hectares (1 million acres) with an estimated worth of $14.22 billion. These properties are administered by state waqf boards, making them among the largest landowners in the country, following the military and the railways. However, concerns over government encroachment and mismanagement have been growing, exacerbated by a proposed amendment to the Waqf Act. The amendment bill, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeks to alter the governance of waqf properties, potentially granting the state greater authority over their management. Critics argue that this move could further marginalise the Muslim community and lead to the systematic dispossession of waqf land.

Legal and community experts argue that the problem extends beyond Ujjain. Across Madhya Pradesh and other states, waqf lands have been systematically reclassified in government records, making them vulnerable to acquisition by the state or private individuals. Historical surveys have documented thousands of waqf properties, but digitisation efforts in recent years have often excluded them due to outdated or incomplete records. Activists contend that the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act could accelerate the dispossession of these lands, allowing the government to assert control under the pretext of administrative reforms. With the issue now under parliamentary review, the fate of India’s waqf properties remains uncertain, as legal battles and community opposition continue to mount against what many perceive as an ongoing effort to appropriate religious endowments for state or commercial purposes.