AP Govt dissolves state's Waqf Board, withdraws controversial GO-47

In a significant move, the government of Andhra Pradesh, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has dissolved the state’s Wakf Board and withdrawn the controversial Government Order (GO) 47 issued during the previous administration. This decision was made in line with the directives of the state High Court, which had raised concerns about the appointment process for the Waqf Board.

Speaking on the matter, the state’s Minister for Law and Minority Welfare, Mohammed Farooq, clarified that the current coalition government had decided to annul GO-47, which had been issued during the previous government’s tenure. The new GO, numbered 75, has now been issued by the Minority Welfare Department.

Minister Farooq explained that the controversial appointments



made under GO-47 had led to legal challenges, with several individuals approaching the state High Court. The court, in its interim order on November 1, 2023, had put a halt to the selection process for the Chairman of the Wakf Board, creating a legal vacuum and administrative uncertainty regarding the board's operations.

GO-47, issued on October 21, 2023, by the previous government, had led to the appointment of several individuals to the Waqf Board, including prominent figures such as Ruhullah (MLC), Hafiz Khan (MLA), Sheikh Khaza, Kadir Basha, Meera Hussain, Shafi Ahmed Qadri, Shireen Begum (IPS), Barakat Ali, Jay Nazir Basha, Patan Shafi Ahmed, and Hasina Begum. However, these appointments were challenged on the grounds of procedural irregularities, prompting the High Court's intervention.