Bhopal, July 7 (IANS) A Hindu member of the newly reconstituted Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board on Tuesday rejected Congress MLA Arif Masood’s proposed legal challenge to the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Board, saying the appointments were made in accordance with the amended Waqf law.
Responding to Masood’s statement that the Muslim community would challenge the state government’s decision in the Supreme Court, Board member Animesh Bhargava told IANS that there was no basis for any objection.
“This has been done in accordance with the Constitution of India. The amended Waqf law was brought to end irregularities in the Waqf Board and plug financial leakages. We have been appointed under the provisions of that law,” Bhargava told IANS on Tuesday.
Referring to the proposed legal challenge, Bhargava further said that those talking about going to the Supreme Court are the people who have been misusing Waqf Board properties for years.
Bhargava’s statement came a day after Bhopal Central MLA Arif Masood opposed the inclusion of Hindu members in the Board and announced that the decision would be challenged in the Supreme Court.
Masood questioned the government’s move when the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, is already under consideration before the apex court. He also alleged that the inclusion of non-Muslim members amounted to interference in the religious affairs of Muslims.
The controversy follows the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to reconstitute the Waqf Board under the amended Waqf Act, 2025. The state became the first in the country to constitute a new Board under the amended law.
The 10-member Board is headed by Sanwar Patel and includes two Hindu members — Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhargava — along with Najma Heptulla, Atif Aqueel, Faizan Khan, Fatema Choudhary, Shaista Sultan, Shabana Khan and an ex-officio member.
According to official figures, the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board manages more than 16,000 Waqf properties across the state, including mosques, dargahs, graveyards, educational institutions and commercial properties.
The inclusion of Hindu members has drawn opposition from the Congress and several Muslim organisations, which have questioned the legality of the move.
–IANS
