Jama Masjid in Ferozeshah Kotla among 250 of ASI protected monuments registered as Waqf properties: Report

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found in an internal survey that 250 out of its protected monuments are currently registered as Waqf properties. The ASI's current list, which features “Waqf properties in India under unauthorised possession of ASI”, also includes several monuments listed in the 2006 Sachar Committee report on the Social, Economic, and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India. 

Some of these prominent sites in Delhi include Jama Masjid at Ferozeshah Kotla, Chhoti Gumti mukbara in RK Puram, Hauz Khas Masjid and Idgah. The monuments span across most parts of India, The Indian Express reported citing sources. 

The ASI is expected to put this on record before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. In the upcoming JPC meet, the ASI is expected to apprise the MPs of how this situation leads to issues in management and conservation work. 

During the JPC meet in September this year, the central agency mentioned that around 120 of its protected monuments are claimed by different state Waqf boards. In this meeting, the ASI gave a presentation detailing the problems faced by it with regards to preservation and conservation. 

The opposition INDIA bloc criticised the ASI for its contention that Muslim bodies can claim any property as theirs. The opposition also accused the culture ministry of "misleading" the panel members and peddling "WhatsApp University" misinformation with the claim that Waqf boards can declare ownership over any property. 

Moreover, the ASI's presentation included a list of more than 50 monuments claimed by Waqf. Some of these were declared as Waqf properties almost a century after ASI announced them as protected monuments.

The ASI's history predates the country's independence as the central agency was set up in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham. The Waqf Act 1995 empowers the board to declare any property or building as Waqf property in the name of charity. 

Using this authority, the board has issued notifications to declare protected monuments as Waqf properties in stark contrast to the rights granted under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR), 1958.