Attack on Hindu identity: Waqf board claims Shivalinga and village lands as Waqf property in Madhya Pradesh
Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, India 
3 March, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu majority village named Makhni in Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh was claimed as Waqf property by the Waqf Board. They also claimed the state-owned lands and even a Shivalinga as Waqf property. A Waqf Board is a statutory body that manages Waqf properties in a state or union territory in India. The Waqf Act of 1995 established these boards. Waqf is an Islamic endowment of property or assets for religious or charitable purposes. However, it is well known for its mischievous claims over non-Muslim properties without any substantial evidence. The Waqf board claimed that the land in Makhni village belonged to a graveyard, but they provided no evidence to back their claims. The villagers' homes, farmlands, platforms, and even a Shivalinga were claimed as Waqf property. The Waqf asked the villagers to leave their homes, and this created a lot of anger and tension among the Hindu villagers. Along with this, the Waqf also claimed the state-owned lands in the village. They claimed that this village land belonged to a man named Qadir Khan, and he had donated this village to the Waqf. The villagers denied these claims made by the Waqf Board. They said that they have lived here for many generations, but these claims were false. They said that they would fight against these notorious claims of the Waqf Board.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack on Hindu religious representation. Within it, the sub-category selected is: Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near temple. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other primary category selected is - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The Waqf Board’s claim over the Hindu-majority village of Makhni in Raisen district, including a consecrated Shivalinga, constitutes an attack on Hindu religious representation. In Hindu dharma, the Shivalinga is not a mere symbol but a consecrated deity embodying divine presence. The temple space and its surroundings are regarded as sacred extensions of that divinity. By labelling the Shivalinga and surrounding village lands as Waqf property, the Board not only sought to encroach upon physical space but also attempted to delegitimise the sanctity of a living Hindu religious site. It is not simply a property dispute but a religiously motivated attack on the representation of Hindu belief in the public sphere. The act of appropriating or rebranding sacred Hindu space under another religious endowment is an act of religious hostility and therefore qualifies as a hate crime. The villagers of Makhni were not targeted for personal enmity, economic conflict, or political rivalry, but solely because they were Hindus residing on land that was suddenly claimed to belong to another faith. By demanding that Hindu villagers vacate their ancestral homes, farms, and even their spaces of worship, the Waqf Board singled them out for their Hindu identity. The attempt to uproot them and delegitimise their presence is an expression of religious supremacy, where Hindu identity itself becomes the ground of hostility. Therefore, this case qualifies as a hate crime. Disclaimer: The news reports do not mention the exact date on which the Waqf Board made its claims over the Hindu village and Shivalinga. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date when the matter was reported in the media.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
