A property dispute that dates back to the turbulent years of the Partition is centered in the district of Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh. A mosque and four stores close to the Muzaffarnagar train station are the subject of the recent declaration of “enemy property” after an investigation. The land was allegedly unlawfully occupied following the 1947 Partition, and its title may be traced back to the family of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first prime minister.
It has been declared to be “enemy property” The district government was instructed to “assume control and manage the property” by the “Custodian of Enemy Property for India, Ministry of Home Affairs” in a letter dated December 5.
The controversy surrounding the land escalated when a mosque was constructed on the property in question, situated directly across from the Muzaffarnagar railway station. In 2023, Sanjay Arora, the convener of the Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, raised awareness of the building, claiming that the stores and mosque were constructed unlawfully on enemy land. Since the mosque had not been approved by the Muzaffarnagar Development Authority (MDA), Mr. Arora contended that it was “constructed like a hotel” and so did not comply with the laws governing development in the area.
“There are no documents for this property with the Waqf Board,” Mr Arora claimed. “When an individual has moved to Pakistan, their land is either illegal property or enemy property.”
