Uttar Pradesh: Waqf reforms, madrasa overhaul and mosque disputes dominate headlines in 2025

Lucknow: An order for eateries to display their names, termed "religious profiling" by a section, police arrests over 'I Love Mohammad' banners, and waqf property registration hogged the headlines in Uttar Pradesh for a good part of the year.

The Uttar Pradesh government persisted in framing laws for the mosques and other Muslim structures, moves that only met with tacit approval from the community, and at times outright rejection.

During July-August, Hindu activists inspecting roadside eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route sparked a controversy.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the action, alleging that goons also forced dhaba owners on the Delhi-Dehradun highway to lower their pants to ascertain their religion.

Former Samajwadi Party MP S T Hasan condemned the rule that stipulated that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route display their credentials.

In April, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, was implemented after completion of the consultation process. Registration of Sunni and Shia Waqf Board properties on the Umeed Portal was followed. The deadline for registration was extended to June 5.

Official figures show that UP has the highest number of waqf properties in the country, totalling around 1.27 lakh. Of these, nearly 1.19 lakh belong to the Sunni Waqf Board and about 8,000 to the Shia Waqf Board.

By December, around 70 per cent of Sunni waqf properties were registered, and about 6,500 Shia waqf properties had been entered into the portal.

On May 30, the UP government constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Minority Welfare Department director to suggest wide-ranging reforms in the curriculum, appointment, and other systems of recognised madrasas affiliated with the Madrasa Education Board.

Although the committee was initially given a month to submit its report, its tenure was extended by three months due to the complexity of the exercise. Despite multiple consultations with stakeholders, the report was still awaited at the end of the year.

In March, a controversy erupted after the Meerut police warned of strict action, including cancellation of passports and driving licences, against people offering namaz on roads.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath supported the move, saying in a PTI podcast, "Meerut authorities have said the right thing. Roads are meant for movement. Those objecting should learn discipline from Hindus."

The future of nearly 32,000 students pursuing Kamil and Fazil courses also remained uncertain in 2025 following the Supreme Court's November 2024 ruling, declaring the awarding of such degrees by the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board unconstitutional as being contrary to the UGC Act.

In May, the Teachers Association Madaris Arabia Uttar Pradesh approached the apex court seeking directions to affiliate these students with the Lucknow-based Urdu, Arabic and Persian Language University, but the issue remained unresolved.

In September, 'I Love Mohammad' banners in Kanpur on Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi elicited sharp reactions across the state.

In Bareilly, clashes erupted between police and protesters after Friday prayers on September 26, leaving several policemen injured. Itehad-e-Millat Council president Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and several others were arrested.

The delay in the start of mosque construction at Dhannipur in Ayodhya by the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation of the Sunni Waqf Board also remained in the news, even as construction of the Ram Temple was formally completed following the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict.

Financial constraints and delays in plan approvals were cited for the continued delay.

In Sambhal, the Shahi Jama Masjid stayed in the spotlight amid a legal dispute over claims that it was a Harihar temple.

On March 23, Mosque management committee president Zafar Ali was arrested in connection with violence during a mosque survey in November 2024. His release on August 1 and a subsequent roadshow, allegedly violating the prohibitory orders, led to fresh cases against him and his supporters.

Similar disputes surfaced over the Shamsi Jama Masjid-Neelkanth Mahadev Temple case in Budaun, where jurisdictional issues before a local court continued to attract attention. The last hearing was held on November 25, with the next scheduled for January 15.

Another controversy arose over remarks made by then Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary ahead of Holi, comparing the frequency of Friday prayers with the annual festival, triggering widespread criticism.

Towards the end of the year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar courted controversy when he removed a Muslim woman doctor's veil at a felicitation event.

Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana filed a police complaint in Lucknow on December 17 seeking action against Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad, who supported him.

The year concluded with the annual convention of the All India Shia Personal Law Board on December 28 in Lucknow.

The convention discussed waqf reforms, opposed the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code, demanded a separate commission for Shia Muslims on the lines of the Sachar Committee, and condemned atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

The meeting also raised demands related to hijab rights, reconsideration of the UCC, a strict law against mob lynching and increased Shia representation in legislatures.

The convention, chaired by board president Maulana Syed Saeem Mehdi at the Bara Imambara, was attended by ulema and scholars from various Indian states as well as Bangladesh and Nepal.