Amid the winter session of the Parliament, when the government plans to discuss the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, a new controversy has erupted from the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh. The UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow has claimed that the land of 115-year-old Varanasi-based Udai Pratap College (UP College) is a Waqf property. This claim by the Waqf board caused chaos within the college premises as the students and the college board expressed anger and launched a protest.
As per the local reports, UP College is a renowned institute educating more than 20,000 students. The total area of the UP College that has been claimed by the Waqf Board is around 500 acres. Several colleges like UP Degree College, Inter College, Rani Murar Balika, Rajarshi Shishu Vihar, and Rajarshi Public School all operate within this area educating thousands of students.
#FitIndiaSuperhitBulletin: वाराणसी के कॉलेज पर वक्फ बोर्ड ने दावा ठोका.. 115 साल पुराने उदय प्रताप कॉलेज पर किया दावा.. मुस्लिम समुदाय पर अवैध निर्माण करने के आरोप@anchor_barkha @SwetaSri27 @Ashutos10599574 #VaranasiNews #WaqfBoard #WaqfBoardControversy pic.twitter.com/Jz94tZMnF1
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It is believed that in the year 2018, Aale Atiq, Assistant Secretary, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow had sent a notice to the college manager under the Waqf Act 1995, about this 115-year-old institution. In the notice, the Waqf authorities claimed that there is a Masjid identified as Chhoti Masjid Nawab Tok Mazarat Hujra in the control of the UP College and that it needs to be freed. However, college authorities have accused the Muslim community of executing illegal construction within the college premises.
The Waqf authorities claimed that the property needed to be registered with the Sunni Board office and asked the college authorities to respond within 15 days if any objections.
In response to this, UN Sinha, the then-secretary of the Udai Pratap Education Committee objected to the notice saying that Udai Pratap College was formed in the year 1909 and that it has been a century-old institute educating thousands at present. The authorities also asserted that the college land belongs to the Endowment Trust and the Charitable Endowment Act states that after the base year, anyone else’s ownership rights to the trust land expire automatically.
Reports suggest that the college was founded by Rajarshi Judeo who first established Udai Pratap College and the Hivat Kshatriya School Endowment Trust in the year 1909. Later, in 1964, the Udai Pratap Education Committee was founded for two years to expand the university. Also in 1991, Former Prime Minister of India Chandrashekhar had declared that the college would become autonomous.
According to Anand Vijay, Vice President of the Udai Pratap College Old Students Association and Trust Secretary, the Trust land cannot be acquired or sold under the current statutes. The Trust is still administered by the Uttar Pradesh government. Further details in the given case are underway.
