The West Bengal Government has formally agreed to implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, bringing an end to months of deadlock and confrontation with the Centre. The move marks a significant shift, as the state had repeatedly refused to enforce the law even after it came into effect nationwide.
The state government on Thursday issued instructions to all District Magistrates to upload details of nearly 82,000 waqf properties on the national portal ummedminority.gov.in. The directive stresses that the entire process must be completed by the 5 December deadline. The letter, issued by West Bengal Minority Development Department Secretary P.B. Salim, outlines specific district-wise procedures to ensure timely data entry.
The order details an eight-point implementation plan:
1. Familiarisation with the central portal.
2. Workshops and meetings with mutawallis (waqf property managers), imams and madrasa teachers.
3. A two-step data-entry system — OTP-based mutawalli registration followed by complete property documentation.
4. Controversial waqf properties may be excluded during the initial phase.
5. Appointment of dedicated officials to monitor district-level progress.
6. Deployment of senior officers from state headquarters to assist districts.
7. Establishment of help-desks in eight districts, with plans for expansion.
8. Daily virtual training sessions (2–4 pm) by the State Waqf Board for all district offices.
The state has over 8,000 waqf estates, and mutawallis have been tasked with uploading property details.
For months, the state government had opposed the amended law, arguing that several provisions could lead to administrative overreach and trigger communal tension. The Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 was passed by Parliament in April 2024.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had openly resisted the legislation, saying she “will not allow it to come into effect in Bengal”, calling it the BJP-led Central Government’s “divide and rule tactics.” She had insisted that it was her responsibility to protect Bengal’s population, 33% of whom are Muslims.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also moved the Supreme Court in April 2024, challenging the validity of the Act. Her petition argued that the law violated constitutional protections under Articles 14, 15(1), 19(1)(c), 21 and 300A. However, the Court ruled against her challenge.
TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee also made headlines during a Joint Parliamentary Committee hearing on the Waqf Bill, when he broke a glass bottle amid a heated exchange with BJP’s Abhijeet Ganguly, a former Calcutta High Court judge.
Following the passage of the Amendment Act, protests erupted across several districts. In Murshidabad, communal violence broke out in Umarpur and Jangipur, where anti-Waqf demonstrators torched vehicles, attacked police personnel and vandalised shops. The clashes resulted in the deaths of two people, a father and son, and left more than 1,000 individuals affected. Critics of the Act argued that provisions such as the inclusion of non-Muslim members on waqf boards and increased government oversight of waqf disputes could undermine traditional community autonomy.
The breakthrough came this week with the state’s formal directive to begin the data-upload process. Officials said that, for now, contentious properties may be left out to avoid procedural delays, signalling a phased approach to implementation.
