High Court freezes State Waqf Board operations; Joint Secretary given interim charge

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has temporarily suspended the functioning of the Kerala State Waqf Board. The order came while the court was hearing petitions alleging unconstitutional actions and other irregularities in the board's constitution and operations. The court directed the Waqf Board to stop all its activities until further orders. It also appointed the Joint Secretary of the Waqf Department to take charge on an interim basis.

The petitions were filed by different parties challenging the legality of the current Waqf Board. One of the petitions was filed by ACTS, a Christian community organisation, seeking the dissolution of the board. The group alleged that the Left government had constituted the board in violation of the rules. The High Court had earlier sought the state government's response to the petition.

Another petition was filed by BJP state vice-president Shaun George, who challenged the exclusion of two non-Muslim members from the board. According to the petition, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 requires the board to include two non-Muslim members. Shaun George argued that the current board was formed without complying with this provision and is therefore illegal. He also claimed that when the Waqf Board was reconstituted earlier this year, the government appointed nine members, all of whom belonged to the Muslim community. The High Court is scheduled to hear the case again on Wednesday.