Kerala reconstitutes State Waqf Board, IUML leader Mayin Haji named chairman
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has appointed Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state vice-president M.C. Mayin Haji as chairman of a newly constituted nine-member State Waqf Board, a move with potential political implications for Muslim organisations in the state.
The new panel replaces the board led by K.S. Hamsa, which was formed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in March. Hamsa has challenged the dissolution before the Kerala High Court, and the case remains pending.
The government had argued in court that several members of the previous board lacked the required qualifications. Restrictions imposed by the court on policy decisions had also affected the panel’s functioning.
Mayin Haji, who has previously served on the Waqf Board, is expected to bring the new committee closer to the IUML leadership. The appointments also include Musthafal Faizy, recently expelled from the Mushawara of the Samastha E.K. faction, and MLA Kurukkoli Moideen.
Jamaat-e-Islami has secured representation for the first time, while the A.P. Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar has been left out.
The government has deferred the appointment of two non-Muslim members until the Supreme Court rules on their representation.
The reconstitution could face further legal hurdles depending on the High Court’s decision on Hamsa’s petition, leaving uncertainty over the new board’s future and its ability to make policy decisions on Waqf administration.
With IANS inputs