Plea in Kerala High Court Says Waqf Board Lacks Mandatory Non-Muslim Members

A petition has been filed in the Kerala High Court alleging that the State Waqf Board is functioning without the mandatory inclusion of non-Muslim members. The petitioner is a state-level political office bearer who has approached the court seeking action on the composition of the Board.

According to the petition, the Waqf Amendment Act requires that at least two members of the Board, apart from ex-officio members, must be non-Muslims. The stated purpose of this requirement is to ensure secular oversight, professional diversity and financial accountability in the administration of the Board.

The petitioner argues that the state has not followed this statutory requirement, as the Board was constituted entirely of Muslim members. Through an order dated February 4, the state appointed nine members, all of whom are Muslims, while stating that the remaining two members would be appointed shortly.

The petition contends that a mere promise of future compliance cannot make the Board's current functioning lawful. The matter relates to how the composition rules under the amended waqf law are to be implemented at the state level, and the court has been asked to examine whether the Board can continue to function without the required non-Muslim members.