Will protect Waqf properties in West Bengal, Mamata assures through newspaper advertisement

Amidst discontent among a section of Muslims, the West Bengal government has issued advertisements in newspapers that State’s Chief Minister has given assurance Waqf properties in the State will remain protected.

The advertisements published in major national and vernacular dailies states that the West Bengal Government continues to oppose the new Waqf Amendment Act.

“The State Waqf Board has filed a writ petition in the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 [W.P.(C) No. 331/2025), which is currently pending,” the advertisement states.

Pointing out that the allegations levelled against the State Government by some vested interests are completely baseless and unfounded, the communication issued by the State government says that in the interest of maintaining the rule of law, a resolution was passed in the State Legislative Assembly on December 3, 2024, requesting the Central Government to withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill.

 A letter by the Secretary Government of West Bengal Minority Affairs & Madrasah Education Department to all District Magistrates had surfaced in November 2025 stating that all the ‘Existing Registered Waqf Properties’ are to be uploaded by the respective Mutawallis within 6 months from the date of launch of the UMEED Central Portal. This has given a handle to a section of Muslim leaders as well as Opposition parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target WB Chief Minister who has said that new Waqf law will not be implemented in the State.

The newspaper advertisement states that all the existing Waqf properties in West Bengal (i.e. around 82,616 Waqf properties) are already registered in the old Waqf portal (WAMSI portal) maintained by the Central Government.

“Therefore, there is no truth in such propaganda that registration of property details in the new portal (UMEED portal) will result in transfer or alienation of Waqf properties,” the State government said. The advertisement states that the only difference between WAMSI portal and UMEED portal is in the process of registering the information.

“In the old portal, the information related to waqf was registered directly through the State Waqf Board, but in the new portal (UMEED portal), the concerned Mutawallis will register the details of the waqf property personally,” the advertisement said.

According to the West Bengal government it has extended all-out support for the data entry process through the District Administration and has set up additional data en entry desks at the District and Block levels and data of 23,087 registered Waqf properties has been uploaded on UMEED portal by December 5, 2025.

West Bengal has witnessed violent protests in April 2025 over the Waqf (Amendment) Act and communal riots erupted leading to at least three deaths in State’s Murshidabad district. Leaders from Muslim community including West Bengal Minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Bengal president Siddiqullah Chowdhury has said “Muslims will not stay quiet if Waqf properties are taken away”.

Toha Siddique, a religious teacher from Furfura Sharif has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of indulging in double-speak when it comes to the interest of Muslims.

The Chief Minister had tried to allay fears on Waqf properties and during a public meeting in Malda on December 3 said she will not allow “anyone to touch people’s property”.

Muslims comprise 27.01 % State’s population and have firmly been behind the Trinamool Congress since 2011. Any split in the Muslim support base may pose problems for Trinamool Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls.