Former chairman K S Hamsa moves High Court against Waqf Board reconstitution

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Waqf Board chairman K. S. Hamsa has approached the High Court challenging the government's decision to reconstitute the Waqf Board. In his petition, Hamsa alleged that the board was reconstituted without following the prescribed procedures.

He argued that the UMEED Act does not contain any provision for dissolving the Waqf Board and that the reconstitution was carried out without complying with Section 14 of the Waqf Act. Hamsa also pointed out that the Division Bench had not ordered the reconstitution of the board. The Division Bench had only directed the government to take steps to fill the vacancy in the board, he said. However, the government went beyond this direction and reconstituted the entire board, Hamsa alleged.

He also challenged the government's argument that the reconstitution was necessary to include a member from the Bohra community. Hamsa pointed out that there is currently a vacancy for an MLA on the board, and a member from the Bohra community could have been appointed to that position.