2018 notice claiming mosque in vicinity of Varanasi college was revoked in 2021: Waqf Board

The clarification came in response to a letter by the joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid committee, SM Yasin, seeking the current status of the issue.

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board on Tuesday clarified that a 2018 notice claiming a mosque and adjoining land on the Udai Pratap College campus in Varanasi as Waqf property was cancelled in January 2021. The clarification came in response to a letter by the joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid committee, SM Yasin, seeking the current status of the issue.

The notice, issued on December 6, 2018, alleged that the mosque and college land were Waqf properties donated by the Nawab of Tonk. (Sourced)

Yasin, in his letter addressed to the Waqf Board chairman, highlighted the prestigious reputation of the college and the confusion surrounding the 2018 notice. In response, the Board’s law officer, Abdul Mobin Khan, confirmed that the notice issued under Section 36(7) of the Waqf Act, 1995, by then assistant secretary Ale Ateeq, had been revoked, and no related action was pending.

The notice, issued on December 6, 2018, alleged that the mosque and college land were Waqf properties donated by the Nawab of Tonk. “The notice came from Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan. The then secretary of the college had responded to the notice, asserting the mosque was built illegally and the property of the college belonged to a trust and it could neither be bought nor sold,” said college principal DK Singh.

Singh also recalled a 2022 attempt by the Waqf Board to build a mosque on the campus, which was halted by police after the college’s complaint.

The situation reignited in 2024, prompting Yasin to seek clarification to dispel any misunderstandings. Following the Board’s response, he expressed gratitude, stating, “The confusion has been resolved, and I appreciate the board’s prompt clarification.”