Won’t allow anyone to touch waqf property: Mamata in Malda after TMC minister’s remarks

After resisting for months, the TMC govt recently issued directions to upload details of 82,000 waqf properties on the Central portal by December 5

Written by Atri Mitra

Kolkata | December 4, 2025 06:35 AM IST

2 min read

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday defended her government’s position on the Centre’s new Waqf law, saying it was “made by the BJP”, and that her government would not allow anyone to “touch” the Waqf properties in the state.

For months, the state government had refused to implement the Waqf Amendment Act, which was passed by both houses of Parliament earlier this year. However, in a sudden shift of stance, the TMC government in the state last month issued directions to upload details of 82,000 Waqf properties on the Central portal by December 5 deadline.

The decision has drawn criticism from several minority groups and organisations.

Speaking at Gajol in Malda, a minority-dominated district, the chief minister said, “Some are trying to incite divisions using religion. The Waqf amended law has been made by the BJP. We resisted it… We passed a resolution in the Assembly against it; we moved the Supreme Court, which is ongoing. As long as we are here, we will not let anyone touch waqf properties. Whoever it may be, I will not allow anyone to touch religious places. I do not do communal politics. I love all faiths.”

“We stood with all religions and will continue to do so. We will not allow anyone to snatch away people’s rights,” she said, reiterating that no Waqf property would be touched under her watch.

On Tuesday, TMC minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Bengal president Siddiqullah Chowdhury had said that “Muslims will not stay quiet if Waqf properties are taken away”.

Taking a dig at both the BJP-led Centre and the state’s reluctant compliance, he said, “It is very easy to speak from AC rooms. But who will go to a village and tell the people that the Waqf land is no longer theirs? This has been imposed forcefully on Muslims.”

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To compound the crisis, the AIMIM is set to hold a protest in Kolkata against the state government’s decision to accept the new law after resisting it for months, sharpening competitive minority politics ahead of next year’s Assembly polls.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More

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