Congress To Move SC Against MP Waqf Board Reorganisation With Two Hindu Members

The Congress has announced that it will move the Supreme Court against the Madhya Pradesh government's decision to reconstitute the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board with two Hindu members, calling the move legally questionable while the BJP maintains it is fully compliant with the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 .

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday approved the reconstitution of the 10 member board, making Madhya Pradesh the first state to implement the amended law by appointing non Muslim members to a state Waqf Board. A government gazette notification confirmed the appointments of Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhargava as Hindu members, while Sanwar Patel was reappointed chairman for a second consecutive term.

Congress MLA Arif Masood said the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act is already pending before the Supreme Court and argued that the state should have waited for the apex court's final verdict before reconstituting the board. He said the party would challenge both the board's formation and the appointments. Senior Congress leader P.C. Sharma alleged the BJP was using the issue to divert attention from other controversies.

Defending the move, Waqf Board chairman Sanwar Patel said the board was reconstituted strictly in accordance with legal provisions. State minister Vishwas Sarang said the Waqf Board administers charitable endowments and property management rather than mosque committees, adding that its composition should not be viewed through a religious lens. BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma said the changes would strengthen protection of Waqf properties and benefit the poor.

The board also includes Najma Heptulla , Atif Aqeel , Faizan Khan , Fatema Chaudhary , Shaista Sultan and Shabana Khan , with the Commissioner of the Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department serving as an ex officio member. As of Tuesday, no fresh petition challenging the MP board has been listed before the Supreme Court, although multiple petitions against the Waqf (Amendment) Act remain pending.