Andhra Pradesh Government did not abolish the Waqf Board in the state; it only dissolved the existing board
Following protests by opposition members regarding the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, JPC Chairperson and BJP member Jagdambika Pal moved a motion in the Lok Sabha on 28 November 2024, seeking an extension of time to present its report until the final day of the 2025 Budget Session. Parliament passed and adopted the motion (here). Amidst this, a post claiming that the Andhra Pradesh Government has abolished the Waqf Board in the state is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, here, here and here). In this article, let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Andhra Pradesh Government has abolished the Waqf Board in the state.
Fact: The Andhra Pradesh Government did not abolish the Waqf Board in the state. It only dissolved the existing board. The government clarified that a new Waqf Board will be constituted at the earliest. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the accuracy of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This search led us to multiple news reports (here, here, here, and here) stating that the Andhra Pradesh Government has dissolved the AP State Waqf Board. According to the reports, the dissolution was aimed at improving governance and protecting Waqf properties.
According to these reports, on 30 November 2024, the Andhra Pradesh Government issued G.O.MS.No. 75, revoking G.O.MS.No. 47, which had been issued on 21 October 2023 by the previous government. The earlier order had elected three members and nominated seven others to the 11-member Waqf Board in the state. The G.O.MS.No. 75 issued by the Andhra Pradesh Government can be seen here.
According to G.O.MS.No. 75, on 21 October 2023, the Minority Welfare Department of Andhra Pradesh announced the constitution of the Waqf Board via G.O.MS.No. 47. The board, consisting of 11 members, included three elected members and eight nominated by the government under the provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995 (amended by Central Act No. 27 of 2013), specifically under Sub-section (9) of Section 14 and Section 15.
Upon reviewing G.O.MS.No. 75 issued by the Andhra Pradesh Government, it was found that the order also cited reasons for dissolving the Waqf Board. In November 2023, the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed the election/appointment of the Chairperson for the AP State Waqf Board. Furthermore, in a letter dated 29 November 2024, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board raised concerns with the state government regarding the board’s non-functioning. The letter also highlighted the existence of 13 writ petitions challenging the legality and validity of the board, raising fears of an administrative vacuum.
Following this, the Andhra Pradesh Government issued G.O.MS.No. 75 and announced the withdrawal of G.O.MS.No. 47, stating that the decision was made “in the interest of maintaining good governance, protecting Waqf properties, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Waqf Board.” The Andhra Pradesh High Court’s stay order in W.P. Nos. 28422, 28479, 28440, and 28467 of 2023 regarding the appointment of the Chairperson for the AP State Waqf Board can be viewed here.
On 1 December 2024, the Andhra Pradesh Government’s official Fact Check Wing, via its X (formerly Twitter) handle, issued a clarification explaining why it dissolved the state Waqf Board. It also stated that the Andhra Pradesh Government will constitute a new Waqf Board at the earliest. From all this information, it is clear that the Andhra Pradesh Government did not abolish the Waqf Board in the state. It only dissolved the existing board, and a new board will be constituted very soon.
On 08 August 2024, two bills, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha with the aim of streamlining the Waqf Board’s operations and ensuring the efficient management of Waqf properties. After an intense debate, the House referred the bills to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). A 31-member JPC was set up, with Jagdambika Pal, a senior BJP Lok Sabha member, appointed as the chairman of the JPC, which will examine the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
To sum up, The Andhra Pradesh Government did not abolish the Waqf Board in the state; it only dissolved the existing board. The government clarified that a new Waqf Board will be constituted soon.