Amit Malviya Applauds the Nullification of Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board by NDA Government
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Amaravati, Dec 1 (NationPress) BJP official Amit Malviya has applauded the nullification of the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board by the NDA government in the state.
The head of BJP's national information and technology department expressed his views on ‘X’ on Sunday concerning this significant development.
“The Andhra Pradesh government has nullified the Waqf Board. There exists no provision in the Constitution that endorses the presence of such a body in a secular India,” he stated.
His remarks were made amid the ongoing dispute surrounding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, which has already been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
On Saturday, the TDP-led coalition government issued an order to retract a previous order established by the former YSR Congress Party government that formed the Waqf Board.
The prior administration, led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had constituted the 11-member Board on October 21, 2023, which included three elected members, one MLA, and one MLC, alongside eight nominated members, including two women.
Following legal challenges from certain individuals at the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the court issued an order on November 1, 2023, halting the election of the chairperson of the State Waqf Board.
After the YSR Congress Party lost power to the NDA in the May 2024 elections, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) appointed its leader Shaik Abdul Aziz as chairman of the State Waqf Board. However, the Board’s reconstitution was stalled due to ongoing court cases.
The current coalition government in the state consists of the TDP, Jana Sena, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The government’s decision to dissolve the Waqf Board was prompted by a report from the Chief Executive Officer of the State Waqf Board, highlighting the prolonged inactivity of the Board and the pending writ petitions questioning the legality of G.O. Ms. No. 47 dated October 21, 2023, aimed at resolving litigations and preventing an administrative void.
Kati Harshvardhan, Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department, indicated that after thorough consideration of the High Court's observations and in the interests of good governance, safeguarding Waqf properties, and ensuring the Board’s effective operation, the government promptly rescinded G.O. Ms. No. 47.
Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md. Farooq announced that the coalition government had annulled the GO issued by the prior administration. He noted that after legal challenges were brought against the nomination of Waqf Board members, the High Court had issued interim orders to stay the election of the chairperson.
The Minister emphasized that due to legal complications, a vacuum had emerged in the Waqf Board's operations, and to address this, the coalition government issued a new GO, nullifying the previous one.
