The issue of including a non-Muslim member in the reconstituted UP Waqf Board us welcomed by people as it prepares to form a new board. Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari and BJP MP Seema Dwivedi defended the Waqf Amendment Act, calling it a step towards greater transparency, accountability and better administration. Both leaders also accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of allowing misuse of Waqf properties and encouraging illegal encroachments.
Danish Azad Ansari said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party failed to create an effective system to protect and manage Waqf properties despite ruling for several years. He alleged that large-scale encroachments took place during previous governments and claimed that the Waqf mafia received political protection.
He said Waqf properties should have served the welfare and development of the Muslim community, but the intended benefits never reached many needy people. According to Ansari, the Centre introduced the Waqf Amendment Act to improve the management of these properties and bring greater accountability.
New Board to Include Wider Representation
Ansari said the proposed 11-member Waqf Board will include Muslim women, members from the Pasmanda community, legal experts and one non-Muslim member. He said the government wants to ensure broader representation in the board.
He added that the term of the UP Sunni Waqf Board has ended and the government has started the process of forming a new board. The new body will follow the provisions of the amended law and the Centre’s guidelines.
Seema Dwivedi Calls Amendment a Transparency Measure
BJP MP Seema Dwivedi also supported the Waqf Amendment Act. She said the previous law lacked accountability, which led to repeated disputes and complaints. She alleged that many cases of illegal occupation of Waqf land surfaced over the years, but authorities failed to monitor them effectively.
Dwivedi said the amended law focuses on transparency and wider participation. She said the new Waqf Board will not remain limited to Muslim members alone. Instead, it will include representatives from other sections, making the decision-making process more balanced and accountable.
Responds to Congress’s Legal Challenge
Reacting to the Congress’s decision to challenge the Waqf Amendment Act in court, Dwivedi said every citizen has the right to approach the judiciary in a democracy. However, she accused the Congress of keeping political disputes alive instead of supporting permanent solutions.
With the process of reconstituting the UP Waqf Board now underway, political activity around the issue has intensified. The board’s final composition and the appointment of new members are likely to remain at the centre of political and public debate in the coming days.
