Waqf Act to empower poor, serve community’s interest: Dhami

Dehradun: Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, is designed to promote empowerment and welfare of poor and marginalised sections of the Muslim community.
At a BJP-organised state-level workshop in Dehradun, the CM asserted that the Act seeks to prevent misuse of Waqf land and curb encroachments by land mafias. "The amendment ensures that Waqf properties are used exclusively for the welfare of the underprivileged. No more unlawful allocation to select individuals. Every inch of Waqf land will be properly verified and monitored," Dhami said.
The CM emphasised that the bill aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of inclusive development: ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'. Calling the amendment a step towards ‘justice and transparency', he questioned why Waqf properties worth crores of rupees were not previously utilised for the benefit of the poor.
BJP national general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam added that land reclaimed from illegal occupation would be repurposed for constructing houses under the PM Awas Yojana for widowed Muslim women, orphaned children, and other disadvantaged groups.
The workshop also featured a detailed presentation by Waqf Board chairman Shadab Shams, who outlined previous instances of misuse of Waqf land. Party officials and minority wing members pledged to take the campaign to every district and block across Uttarakhand. The BJP is set to launch a state-wide awareness campaign on the amendment from April 20 to May 5.