India, April 2 -- The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) backed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, but urged the government to grant state governments greater autonomy in determining the composition of waqf boards in the rules.

"The TDP has always stood by the welfare and upliftment of the muslim community, ensuring their rights and development. In line with this commitment, I urge the government to consider providing flexibility to the state governments in deciding the composition of the waqf board," TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti told the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the bill.

In a controversial move, the bill has proposed that two non-Muslim members will be included in both central and state waqf boards to ensure inc...