Srinagar: Notwithstanding the controversy over angry devotees defiled the emblem engraved on a plaque fixed outside the main prayer room of the Dargah Hazratbal Shine, Dr. Darakshan Andrabi, Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, expressed gratitude to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for his encouraging comments in regards with unparalleled makeover of the Shrine.
Responding to Rijiju’s tweet, the Waqf Chairperson and Senior BJP leader Andrabi said: “We are highly thankful for these words from your Honourable Self, Sir Kiren Rijiju Ji. J&K Waqf Board is proud of your visionary guidance and support. Highly encouraging.”
Since its reconstitution in 2022 under the Central Waqf Act, the board has worked to align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of development, transparency, and accountability in J&K.
“It was a very difficult task to free the Waqf System in J&K from misappropriation, mis-management, misuse & loot,” Dr. Andrabi stated, acknowledging the crucial support of the J&K administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Pertinently, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, effective from April 2025, has reinforced the board’s efforts by introducing measures like mandatory audits, a centralized property management portal for transparency, and the option to appeal Waqf Board decisions in courts.
Earlier, BJP leader and J&K Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi had called it a “terrorist attack” and urged the police to identify the attackers and charge them under the Public Safety Act (PSA). “They have damaged the dignity of the dargah, and once they are identified, they will be banned from entering the dargah for life, and an FIR will be filed against them,” she had said.
Despite opposition from the J&K government, which has raised concerns about the Act, Dr. Andrabi emphasized its importance in eliminating misappropriation, misuse, and loot, ensuring Waqf properties serve the community effectively.
