SRINAGAR — Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has flagged deep concern over an eviction notice served to the historic Race Course Mosque in New Delhi, questioning the failure of the Waqf authorities to protect the gazetted heritage site.
The mosque, which has been a legally registered Waqf property since 1977 and a recognized heritage structure in the national capital, has been given a six-day deadline for eviction.
In a strong statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Mirwaiz termed the development deeply disturbing, questioning whether swift eviction notices and administrative pressures are becoming the new normal for places of worship belonging to the community. He sharply criticized the apparent inaction and failure of the Waqf authorities, who are legally mandated to safeguard and administer such properties, for failing to mount a defense.
Mirwaiz wrote, “Deeply disturbing that Delhi’s historic Race Course Mosque, a gazetted Waqf property since 1977 and a listed heritage site, faces eviction within six days. Equally alarming is the reported failure of the Waqf authorities to defend it. Is this becoming the new normal for Muslim places of worship?”
Connecting the eviction threat to broader legislative concerns, Mirwaiz stated that this incident highlights the dangers of increased state control over religious bodies. He reiterated that this specific vulnerability is precisely why local leadership and community stakeholders strongly opposed the recent Waqf amendments and the expansion of government control through nominated nominees over religious endowments.
“This is precisely why we strongly opposed the Waqf amendments and increased government control through appointed nominees over Muslim religious endowments. If even a legally recognised mosque cannot be protected, what safeguards remain for others?” He added, raising serious questions about the security, legal protections and future of historic minority religious properties across the country.
Asaduddin Owaisi Seeks Kiren Rijiju’s Urgent Intervention
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has also called for the urgent intervention of Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Race Course Mosque case, questioning the failure of the Delhi Waqf Board and its officials to act against the eviction and demolition order.
In a post on X, Owaisi pointed out that despite the mosque being a gazetted Waqf property since 1977, the Waqf Board had not challenged the demolition order or made efforts to resolve the matter.
He further argued that the mosque should be protected under the Waqf Amendment Act, citing the provision concerning waqf by user and noting that properties registered in the past continue to enjoy protection under the law.
Owaisi also highlighted that the Delhi Waqf Board has not been constituted since 2023, arguing that the Union Minister should intervene to resolve the matter. He added that the Board’s chief executive officer could also have stepped in but had failed to do so.
