Madhya Pradesh Becomes First State To Include Hindu Members In Waqf Board

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 11:30 IST

The new board, formed under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, is the first state-level Waqf Board in the country to have Hindu members.

Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board: In a first in India, the Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government has reorganised the state Waqf Board under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and incorporated two Hindu members.

The new board, formed under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, is the first state-level Waqf Board in the country to have Hindu members.

A gazette notification was issued on Sunday, appointing Sanwar Patel as the chairman of the 10-member Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board. Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhargava have been inducted as Hindu members, marking the first such appointments to a state Waqf Board under the amended law, officials said.

The state government said the board has been constituted under Sections 13 and 14 of the Waqf Act, 1995, as amended in 2025.

Besides the chairman, the board includes Najma Heptulla, MLA Atif Aqueel, Faizan Khan, Sister Fatema Choudhary, Shaista Sultan, Shabana Khan and the Commissioner of Backward Classes and Minority Welfare. Heptulla, who was appointed in 2023, will continue her existing term till April 2028.

The Waqf Board is a statutory body responsible for managing and protecting Waqf properties, maintaining records, preventing encroachments and ensuring that the properties are used for religious, educational and social welfare purposes.

Congress Opposes Move

The move, however, drew criticism from the Congress, which termed the inclusion of non-Muslim members “inappropriate", and said they would challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

Congress MLA Arif Masood said the matter relating to the Waqf (Amendment) Act is pending before the Supreme Court and that the party would challenge the constitution of the new board.

Such appointments should not have been made until the final decision of the apex court, he opined.

“In such a situation, the Madhya Pradesh government’s reorganisation of the Waqf Board and inclusion of non-Muslim members is inappropriate and raises several legal questions. We will approach the Supreme Court and challenge the formation and appointment of the Waqf Board members," he said.

Senior Congress leader PC Sharma also criticised the decision, alleging it was politically motivated.

He claimed this step was taken to divert public attention from the theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the allegations against Chief Minister Yadav.

Hitting back, Sanwar Patel said the board has been reconstituted in “strict adherence to legal provisions".

“Opposition parties are politicising the issue and provoking people. They have to politicise everything," he told PTI.

BJP Defends Decision

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP defended the appointments, saying the Waqf Board’s role extends beyond the management of mosques.

State minister Vishwas Sarang said the decision should not be viewed through a religious lens, while BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma said the board was meant to protect Waqf properties for public welfare and that the inclusion of Hindu members would strengthen its functioning.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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