The Madhya Pradesh government has reconstituted the State Waqf Board under the provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, making it the first state in the country to do so.
A gazette notification issued on July 4 by the state’s Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department announced the new 10-member board, headed by BJP leader Sanwar Patel.
The board includes two Hindu members—Manoj Malpani from Indore and Animesh Bhargava from Guna district—marking the first such appointments under the amended law.
New Board Includes Women and Political Representatives
Besides the chairperson and the two Hindu members, the board includes former Union Minister Najma Heptulla, Congress MLA Atif Aqueel, Faizan Khan, Fatema Choudhary, Shaista Sultan, Shabana Khan, and IAS officer Satyendra Singh, Commissioner of the Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department, who will serve as an ex officio member.
The state government said Heptulla’s earlier appointment remains valid until April 2028, and she has been retained for the remainder of her tenure.
Government Says New Law Mandates Non-Muslim Members
The Madhya Pradesh government said the board has been constituted under the Waqf Act, 1995, as amended in 2025.
The amended law requires both the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards to include at least two non-Muslim members, along with mandatory representation for women.
Welcoming the move, Sanwar Patel said the new law would improve transparency in the functioning of Waqf Boards.
“Waqf mafia had been sitting on the Board for years. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the new law, which makes it mandatory to include women and non-Muslim experts. I also thank Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for making Madhya Pradesh the first state to implement it,” Patel told reporters.
Congress MLA Arif Masood Opposes Move
Congress MLA and All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Arif Masood criticised the state’s decision, arguing that it was taken while the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act is still under consideration before the Supreme Court.
“This is completely wrong. The issue of including members from another community in Waqf Boards is one of the matters currently being examined by the Supreme Court. Why was the Madhya Pradesh government in such a hurry when the proceedings are still pending?” Masood said.
He also alleged that the board effectively includes three non-Muslim members if the ex officio government official is counted, and said he would approach the Supreme Court challenging the state’s decision.
Supreme Court Hearing on Waqf Law Continues
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 came into force after receiving presidential assent in April 2025. One of its most debated provisions requires the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf institutions.
The Act has been challenged before the Supreme Court by several petitioners, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
While the Supreme Court has not stayed the law in its entirety, it has issued interim directions limiting the number of non-Muslim members in Waqf institutions during the pendency of the case. Under the interim arrangement, the 22-member Central Waqf Council cannot have more than four non-Muslim members, while State Waqf Boards with 11 members are capped at three non-Muslim members until further orders.
