Amravati: Andhra Pradesh’s TDP government led by N Chandrababu Naidu has reversed the previous orders issued by the YSR Congress regime regarding the state Waqf board and announced plans to form a new board, media reports said.

This decision comes amid protests from Muslim organizations and opposition parties over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

In its order, the state government stated that the Waqf board formed under the YSR Congress administration had been inactive since March 2023, lacking representation from scholars of both Sunni and Shia communities, as well as former parliamentarians, reported India Today.

The government claimed that this had caused stagnation in the functioning of the Waqf board.

The order further highlighted that junior advocates had been selected for the Bar Council category without following proper criteria, leading to conflicts of interest involving senior advocates who were involved in cases.

The bill was expeditiously referred to a joint parliamentary committee after opposition parties and Muslim groups raised alarms, arguing that it was an attempt to target the community and infringe upon its constitutional rights.

The discussions within the parliamentary panel on the Waqf bill have turned into a contentious debate between opposition members and those from the ruling party, with vigorous arguments over the proposed amendments to the bill.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution extending the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Waqf bill until the final day of next year’s Budget session.