Bhopal Erupts in Protest as Madhya Pradesh Names Non-Muslim Members to Waqf Board, Congress Vows Supreme Court Fight Madhya Pradesh appointed two non-Muslim members to its reconstituted Waqf Board, triggering protests in Bhopal, with Congress MLA Arif Masood announcing plans to challenge the move in the Supreme Court. Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to appoint non-Muslim members to its state Waqf Board, and the decision taken by the Mohan Yadav government has set off a political storm across the state. After recent changes were made to the Waqf Act, the Madhya Pradesh government reconstituted the state Waqf Board and, for the first time anywhere in India, appointed two Hindu, that is non-Muslim, members to it. While several people have welcomed the government's move, Muslim organisations and the main opposition party in the state, Congress, have launched a sharp protest against it. Slogans and demonstrations on Bhopal's streets As soon as the list of the newly appointed Waqf Board members became public, a number of Muslim organisations began opposing the decision. In the state capital, Bhopal, protesters raised slogans against the government and staged a demonstration. The protesters directly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of deliberately targeting Muslims and of forcing its way into their religious affairs. They made it clear in unambiguous terms that the Muslim community would never accept such interference, and that the protests would continue. Arif Masood raises sharp questions Congress MLA Arif Masood has turned the controversy into a major political flashpoint, cornering the state government over the fresh appointments. He said the Mohan Yadav government has given seats on the board to two non-Muslim members. Along with that, he pointed out, Satyendra Kumar, the Commissioner for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, is also a member of the board by virtue of his post. Counting him in, Arif Masood argued, the Waqf Board technically now has three non-Muslim members, which he described as a direct violation of the new Waqf Act. Arif Masood announced that he intends to challenge this appointment in the Supreme Court. A ten member board with a new composition The newly reconstituted Waqf Board in Madhya Pradesh now has a total of 10 members. This time, the state government has paid special attention to the participation of women. The Waqf Board bill had a provision for including two women members on the board, but the Mohan Yadav government went beyond that provision and inducted four women instead of just two, doubling the representation that was originally proposed. Who has been given a place on the board The board's key members include Sanvar Patel, who has been reappointed as chairman, along with Najma Heptulla, MLA Atif Aqeel, Faizan Khan, Fatema Chaudhary, Shaista Sultan, Shabana Khan, Manoj Malpani, Animesh Bhargava, and the Commissioner for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, who sits on the board by virtue of the post. Chairman Sanvar Patel calls it a historic step Newly appointed Waqf Board chairman Sanvar Patel, on the other hand, has defended the government's decision and described it as a historic decision. Rejecting the protests, he said that both the non-Muslim members inducted into the board are experts in their respective fields, and that their administrative and social experience will directly benefit the functioning of the Waqf Board as well as the better management of its properties. The episode has widened the political fault lines in Madhya Pradesh, with the government projecting the reconstitution as a step towards better governance and wider representation, while the opposition and Muslim organisations see it as government overreach into religious institutions and a violation of the law that governs how Waqf Boards are to be constituted. What this means for you • Across India: This is the first time any state has appointed non-Muslim members to a Waqf Board after the recent changes to the Waqf Act, so the move could set a precedent for how other states reconstitute their boards. • In Madhya Pradesh: Protests by Muslim organisations are likely to continue in Bhopal and elsewhere in the state, and once the matter reaches the Supreme Court, the board's functioning and management of its properties could hinge on the court's ruling. Questions & Answers 1. How many non-Muslim members have been appointed to the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board? The government directly appointed two non-Muslim (Hindu) members, though Arif Masood says the count effectively rises to three once Commissioner Satyendra Kumar is included. 2. Who took this decision? The decision was taken by the Mohan Yadav government as part of reconstituting the state Waqf Board following recent changes to the Waqf Act. 3. Why are protests happening in Bhopal? Muslim organisations allege that the Bharatiya Janata Party is deliberately targeting Muslims and interfering in their religious affairs, which led to sloganeering and demonstrations in Bhopal. 4. What has Arif Masood announced? Congress MLA Arif Masood has announced he will challenge the appointment of non-Muslim members in the Supreme Court, calling it a violation of the new Waqf Act. 5. How many total members does the new Waqf Board have? The newly reconstituted Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board has a total of 10 members. 6. How much has women's representation on the board increased? The bill provided for two women members, but the government included four women instead of two. 7. Who is the Waqf Board chairman and what did he say? Sanvar Patel has been reappointed as chairman, and he has defended the move, calling it a historic decision and rejecting the protests. https://trendkia.com/en/politics/vakpha-borda-men-gaira-muslima-sadasyon-ki-niyukti-se-bhopala-men-hngama-congress-pahunchegi-supreme-court-5291 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.