Andhra Pradesh Government Set to Form New Waqf Board
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Amaravati, Dec 1 (NationPress) The Andhra Pradesh government announced on Sunday that the State Waqf Board was dissolved owing to specific concerns, and that a new Board will be formed as soon as possible.
This clarification from the coalition government followed reports in certain media outlets suggesting that the State Waqf Board had been completely abolished.
The Fact Check Wing of the state government shared this clarification on X in response to a post from BJP leader Amit Malviya.
“Andhra Pradesh government has nullified the Waqf Board. There is no constitutional provision supporting its existence in a secular India,” Malviya stated while referring to a news channel's report about the abolition of the Waqf Board.
The official account of the Fact Check Wing, FactCheck.Ap.Gov.In, elaborated on the reasons behind the Government Order (G.O) issued on Saturday.
“The Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board has been inactive since March 2023, resulting in administrative stagnation. The withdrawal of G.O. Ms. No. 47 was necessary due to multiple substantial issues. These include 13 writ petitions contesting its validity, lack of proper representation from Sunni and Shia scholars, exclusion of former MPs, the appointment of junior advocates without clear criteria, doubts regarding the eligibility of certain members, and the inability to elect a chairman due to ongoing litigation,” the clarification noted.
“The Government of Andhra Pradesh will implement suitable actions to rectify these issues and establish a new Waqf Board promptly,” it further stated.
The TDP-led coalition government on Saturday issued an order to revoke a previous directive from the YSR Congress Party that had constituted the Waqf Board.
The prior government under Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had created an 11-member Board on October 21, 2023, with three elected members including an MLA and a MLC. Additionally, eight members were nominated, two of whom were women.
As some individuals filed petitions in the Andhra Pradesh High Court challenging the nominations, the court issued a stay order on November 1, 2023, halting the election of the chairperson of the State Waqf Board.
The government's decision to disband the Waqf Board came after the Chief Executive Officer highlighted the Board's prolonged inactivity and the existence of writ petitions questioning the validity of G.O. Ms. No. 47 dated October 21, 2023, seeking to resolve the litigation and avert an administrative void.
