The Lucknow bench of the high court rejects the petition filed by the former UP Shia Waqf Board chief
LUCKNOW — The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition filed by former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi, who later converted and is now known as Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, seeking the merger of separate Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards in the state.
Justice Rajan Roy of the Lucknow Bench of the high court heard the petition. The court rejected the plea on Wednesday.
In his petition, Rizvi argued that under the Waqf Act, 1995, there was no strong legal basis for maintaining two separate boards in Uttar Pradesh if the proportion of Shia waqf properties and income did not meet the required threshold.
He claimed that Shia waqf properties in Uttar Pradesh account for only around 2 to 2.5 per cent of the total waqf properties, and the income is between 1 and 2 per cent. According to him, the Act provides that separate boards may be formed if Shia waqf properties or income constitute 15 per cent or more.
On this basis, he sought the dissolution of the existing Shia and Sunni boards and the creation of a single Muslim Waqf Board in the state.
At present, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have separate Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards, while several other states function with a single board.
The Lucknow Bench dismissed the plea. Details of the court’s observations are awaited, but the petition was not entertained.
The decision has been seen as a setback for Rizvi, who had earlier drawn nationwide criticism for filing a separate petition questioning 26 verses of the Holy Qur’an.
Reacting to the decision, current Shia Waqf Board chairman Ali Zaidi welcomed the ruling.
Speaking to reporters, Zaidi said, “This petition was filed with the intention of disturbing the atmosphere. The high court has dismissed it and also reprimanded the petitioner.”
He added, “The separate identity and functioning of the Shia Waqf Board are protected under law. We respect the decision of the court.”
Background of the Controversy
Rizvi, during his tenure as chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board, remained a controversial figure. After converting and changing his name, he filed petitions that led to strong reactions from Muslim organisations across the country.
Legal experts say that matters relating to the structure of waqf boards depend on statutory provisions and state government decisions within the framework of the Waqf Act, 1995.
For now, the existing arrangement of separate Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards in Uttar Pradesh will continue, following the high court’s refusal to intervene.
