At a time when the Waqf Amendment Act have become a matter of national debate, Kashmiri Pandits are demanding a similar bill for the protection of Hindu religious places in the Union Territory. The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) has stated that if their demands are not met, they will approach the Supreme Court.

According to the KPSS, more than 1,400 temple properties in the Kashmir Valley have been encroached upon. The organization claims that such widespread encroachment would not have been possible without the support of the administration and certain politicians.

Sanjay Tickoo, Chief of the KPSS, said, “There are around 1,400 properties that have been encroached upon. Forged sale deeds have been created, and such actions wouldn’t be possible without the collusion of officers and politicians. KPSS now has a new slogan—that a Sanatan Board should be formed, and both the Sanatan and Waqf Boards should work together. If this happens, it will foster brotherhood between communities. We will move to the Supreme Court if the government does not address our demands. Let’s see what they do in two months; otherwise, we will go to the Supreme Court in June. Our demands are not just about temples, but also about employment and human rights violations that have occurred here.”

The KPSS further stated that it is morally reprehensible and legally indefensible that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which has remained silent for the past 35 years on issues like the encroachment of temples, desecration of shrines, and illegal transfer of thousands of kanals of Hindu endowment land, is now suddenly expressing concern when it comes to regulating Waqf properties.

Basharat Bukhari, a PDP leader, commented, “I don’t know the current status of Kashmiri Pandit properties, and I don’t know who told them that the WAQF Bill is specifically for the protection of Muslim properties. We don’t even know what the implications of the bill will be. What we’re asking is: why has the government suddenly brought this bill forward, and what exactly is their intent?”

Meanwhile, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit has expressed support for the KPSS’s demands, stating that Kashmiri Pandits have every right to raise their voice for the protection of their religious places and properties, and that the government must act to safeguard temple lands.

Altaf Thakur, spokesperson for the BJP’s J&K unit, said, “What our Pandit brothers are demanding is genuine. Many of their lands were forcefully encroached upon when they were displaced. Now that they are seeking a bill for the protection of these properties, the government should pass it.”

The KPSS emphasized that if there is space for public outrage over Waqf reforms, then there must also be equal legislative, judicial, and administrative urgency to restore the usurped temples, shrines, and lands of the Kashmiri Pandits. They reiterated their demand that the Parliament and Union Territory administration immediately introduce a comprehensive “Temples and Shrines Protection, Preservation, and Restoration Bill.” If the government fails to act within two months, the KPSS has vowed to seek justice through the Supreme Court.

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