The government led by Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh has decided to dissolve the State Waqf Board that was created by the previous YSR Congress Party government. This decision was announced on Saturday (November 30), when the Minorities Welfare Department issued a new Government Order (GO) that canceled the earlier order from October 2023, which had set up the Waqf Board.

The YSR Congress government created an 11-member Waqf Board after a decision from the High Court. Three of the members were elected, and the rest were chosen by nomination. However, a legal challenge was filed questioning how the board was formed, which led the Andhra Pradesh High Court to stop the election of the board's chairperson on November 1, 2023.

What led to the withdrawal of the government order?

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Waqf Board informed the government about the problem. He told them that the board had not been working for a long time, and there were legal issues regarding how the board was set up. The new Government Order (GO) issued on Saturday said these problems created a gap in administration, and action was needed to fix the situation.

Kati Harshvardhan, the Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department, said, “After careful consideration of the observations made by the High Court and in the interest of maintaining good governance, protection of Waqf properties, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Waqf Board, the government hereby withdraws G.O. Ms. No. 47 dated 21.10.2023, with immediate effect.”

Md. Farooq, the Minister for Minority Welfare, explained that the coalition government decided to withdraw the earlier GO after individuals challenged the nomination process in court. The High Court passed interim orders, which led to the suspension of the chairperson election.

Farooq added, “The coalition government headed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is committed to the protection and management of Waqf properties and the welfare of minorities. The government is taking steps in this direction."

What does this mean for the new Waqf Board?

Dissolving the current Waqf Board could make room for a new one to be created. In September, the coalition government appointed Shaik Abdul Aziz, a leader from the TDP, as the new chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board. Abdul Aziz, who was the mayor of Nellore in the past, is also the current president of the TDP for the Nellore parliamentary area.

BJP leader Amit Malviya reacted positively to the move, posting on ‘X’ on Sunday: “(The) Andhra Pradesh government strikes down the Waqf Board. No provision in the Constitution supports the existence of one in a secular India.”

This comes amid the ongoing debate over the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, which is under review by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).