Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan government dissolves Waqf Board amid legal challenges

| Updated: 01 December, 2024 6:01 pm IST

NEW DELHI: The Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has dissolved the State Waqf Board constituted by the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government.

The Minorities Welfare Department issued a Government Order (GO) on November 30, withdrawing an earlier GO from October 2022 that had established the 11-member Waqf Board following a High Court directive.

The move comes amid ongoing legal challenges to the Board’s formation process. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had, on November 1, 2023, stayed the election of the Board’s chairperson.

The recent GO highlighted prolonged non-functioning of the Board and the need to address pending litigations to avoid an administrative vacuum.

Minorities Welfare Department Secretary Kati Harshvardhan, in the order, emphasized the government’s intent to maintain good governance, safeguard Waqf properties, and ensure smooth Board operations.

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He stated that the decision to dissolve the Board was taken after considering the High Court’s observations and existing administrative hurdles.

The dissolution has unfolded against the backdrop of growing political controversy surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.

While the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a BJP ally, has not publicly commented on the Bill, the Opposition YSRCP has voiced its opposition, aligning itself with the concerns of the Muslim community, which forms 9.56% of the state’s population.

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YSRCP leaders, including MP P.V. Mithun Reddy, have criticized the Bill, stating that it undermines the rights of the Waqf community.

The YSRCP’s stance has drawn support from Muslim organizations, including Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, which praised the party’s position.This development puts the TDP in a difficult position, as it faces scrutiny over its silence on the Bill. TDP leaders, however, maintain that referring the Bill to a parliamentary committee for review was initiated at their insistence.