Govt move to take over Waqf Board admn challenged

Admitting the plea moved by Advocate K Fazlur Rahman, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha directed the state Minorities Department to respond to the plea by February 28.

According to the petitioner, the state Waqf Board comprises a chairperson, one and not more than two members elected from each of the electoral colleges consisting of Muslim members of Parliament from the state, Muslim members of the state legislature and Muslim members of the Bar Council of the state.

In case there is no Muslim member of the Bar Council, the state, as the case may be, may nominate any senior Muslim advocate from the state, he submitted. The state issued an order dated September 18, 2019, and took over the administration of the board for violating the Act by having more nominated members than elected.