Andhra waqf boards struggle with encroachment; will new law bring respite?

The BJP-led Centre claims that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 will ease the management of waqf property, but in states such as Andhra Pradesh, the waqf boards themselves have been battling illegal encroachment for ages. It’s not clear whether the new law — as the Bill is on the verge of becoming one — will clear the encroachment hurdle, as it claims it will do.

Nearly 50 per cent of Waqf property in Andhra Pradesh is under illegal encroachment, state Waqf Board Chairman SK Aziz told The Federal. “The board oversees 3,502 Waqf institutions, managing 65,783.88 acres of land. Of that, 31,594.20 acres are encroached upon. We have initiated action to reclaim these,” he said.

Also read: Waqf Bill: Of misplaced priorities, diversionary tactics and political ploy

No clear data

According to him, around 15,000 religious and educational institutions, including mosques and dargahs, are located on Waqf lands. The Waqf Board has conducted surveys to identify encroachments but has not been entirely successful in reclaiming the property. Although legal cases have been filed in some areas, disputes continue. Legal complexities and political pressure have limited action against encroachers.

There is also a lack of clear data on the total extent of encroachments. Recently, state Minorities Minister NMD Faroor stated that 14,000 acres of Waqf land were under illegal occupation and that the government had initiated measures to reclaim it. Aziz, who stated a much higher figure, as mentioned above, said the board plans to lease out about 30,000 acres through auctions.

One lakh Muslims to submit petition to Naidu

While the Centre claims that the Waqf Bill will improve the administration of Waqf Boards, ensure better management of waqf property, enhance transparency, and prevent illegal encroachments, Muslims in the state, or across the country, are not very hopeful.

Andhra Pradesh minority rights activist and advocate Basheer Ahmad criticized the Bill, calling it unconstitutional. He argued that it interferes with the internal affairs of a religious community and urged the central government to withdraw it.

Also read: Encroachments, low revenues leave Telangana Waqf Board in dire straits

Speaking in Guntur on Friday (April 4), he mentioned that representatives from various Muslim organizations and religious leaders had passed a resolution against the Bill. At the meeting, it was decided that one lakh Muslims would soon meet Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to submit a petition against the bill.

“Chandrababu Naidu has the power to prevent this Bill from becoming law. If he decides, it can be stopped. That is why one lakh Muslim representatives have decided to meet him,” Basheer Ahmad stated, adding that the exact date for the meeting would be announced soon.

Andhra parties split on new law

The Bill has left the major parties in Andhra Pradesh split. While Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has openly opposed the Bill, Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its NDA (and state government) partner Jana Sena Party (JSP) have supported it, though TDP had raised objections regarding some of its tenets too.

Former state deputy chief minister Anam Amjad Basha strongly criticized the TDP for supporting the controversial Bill. Speaking at the YSR Kadapa district camp office, he accused the TDP of “betraying Muslims after using them for electoral gains”.

He alleged that the TDP and JSP had committed an unforgivable betrayal against the Muslim community by supporting the Bill in the Lok Sabha. “In 2014, the TDP allied with the BJP, a party opposed to Muslim interests, just to gain power. It did not appoint a single Muslim minister. In 2024, it once again joined hands with the BJP and supported the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, deceiving the Muslim community,” he said.

Also read: Congress, AIMIM leaders move SC against Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025

He also accused Naidu of misleading Muslim leaders by assuring them that he would stand by them, only to later betray their trust.

TDP’s position

However, TDP’s Guntur East MLA Naseer Ahmad claimed that Naidu has a clear stance on the Waqf Bill and is “committed to the protection and welfare of Muslims in the state” as well.

Speaking at a press conference at the TDP central office on Thursday, he said, “TDP is the only party (in the ruling NDA) that formally submitted objections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.”

He attacked the YSRCP for remaining silent on the issue. “Not a single YSRCP MP spoke about the Waqf Bill during discussions. If Jagan Mohan Reddy truly cared about Muslims, why did his party’s MPs remain silent?” he remarked.

The TDP proposed key amendments, including ensuring that non-Muslims are not appointed to the Waqf Board, transferring the authority to resolve waqf-related disputes to officials above the district collector level, and strengthening mechanisms to protect Wakf properties.

Also read: Anti-Waqf Bill protests surge in Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Delhi

History of Waqf (Amendment) Bill

The Waqf Bill was initially introduced in 2024, and after strong opposition from various parties, it was referred to a JPC. After incorporating the JPC’s recommendations — that is, rejecting most, including all suggested by the Opposition — the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on April 2 and in Rajya Sabha two days later.

Some of the tenets of the new law are the inclusion of non-Muslims, women, and representatives from Shia, Sunni, Bohra, and backward Muslim communities in the Central Waqf Council and State Wakf Boards, mandatory registration of waqf property with district collectors, auditing of waqf property by government-appointed auditors, and the removal of Waqf Boards’ unlimited authority to unilaterally declare property as waqf land.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board considers the law unconstitutional and an infringement on religious freedom. The inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Boards is being seen as government interference in religious matters.

Also read: UP has most Waqf properties in India; graveyards, mosques take most space

Opposition parties, such as the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and AIMIM, have oppose the Bill, viewing it as an anti-minority legislation. They argue that it violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom — a charge the Centre has denied.

(This article first appeared in The Federal Andhra Pradesh)