Controversy Erupts In Varanasi As Sunni Waqf Board Stakes Claim Over 115-Year-Old Udai Pratap Singh

A fresh controversy has surfaced in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, as the state’s Sunni Central Waqf Board has staked ownership claims over the historic 115-year-old Udai Pratap College (UP College), citing it as Waqf property. The claim has reignited tensions amidst discussions in the Parliament regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, leading to protests by students, staff, and college authorities.

The UP Sunni Central Waqf Board has declared that a significant portion of the 500-acre Udai Pratap College campus qualifies as Waqf property. The claim centers on the Chhoti Masjid Nawab Tok Mazarat Hujra, a mosque reportedly located within the college premises.

In 2018, Aale Atiq, Assistant Secretary of the Sunni Waqf Board in Lucknow, issued a formal notice to the college manager under the Waqf Act, 1995. The notice alleged that the mosque and associated land had been endowed as Waqf property by the Nawab of Tonk and demanded that it be registered under the Board’s control. The Waqf Board instructed the college authorities to respond within 15 days to clarify objections or face action. According to the Board, such registration is mandatory for all endowed properties.

The college administration has categorically denied the Waqf Board’s claims, asserting that the land is owned by the Hivat Kshatriya School Endowment Trust, established in 1909. Under the Charitable Endowment Act, the Trust holds perpetual rights over the property, and any external claims are rendered void after the base year. UN Sinha, the former secretary of the Udai Pratap Education Committee, responded to the Waqf Board’s 2018 notice by emphasising the historic significance of the college and the legality of its land ownership.

He highlighted that the college, founded by Rajarshi Judeo, has been a beacon of education for over a century, serving thousands of students annually. The Trust land, according to Anand Vijay, Vice President of the Udai Pratap College Old Students Association and Trust Secretary, cannot be sold or transferred under existing statutes.