“Today’s order strengthens the hope and trust that people place in the Hon’ble Supreme Court to safeguard religious rights of the Muslim minority community and to uphold the Constitution,” he wrote on his ‘X’ handle and added that this was a major step in undoing the unconstitutional and illegal amendments made to the Waqf Act.
File Photo: IANS
Welcoming the Supreme Court’s stay on key provisions of the Waqf Act, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday described it as a major step towards undoing the unconstitutional and illegal amendments made by the BJP-led Modi government.
“Today’s order strengthens the hope and trust that people place in the Hon’ble Supreme Court to safeguard religious rights of the Muslim minority community and to uphold the Constitution,” he wrote on his ‘X’ handle and added that this was a major step in undoing the unconstitutional and illegal amendments made to the Waqf Act.
Advertisement
Besides ensuring Muslim majority in the Waqf boards, Stalin said the apex court has stayed the following amendments that threatened to alter the religious character of the institution and listed them: “i) The mandatory 5-year practice requirement before dedicating a Waqf, ii) The power to divest Waqf properties on mere allegation of being government property pending report of a designated officer of Government,
Advertisement
“iii) The Collector’s power to denotify ‘Waqf by user’ (property treated as Waqf after log period of religious use), iv) Inclusion of more than 4 non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Board and more than three in State Waqf Boards.”
The Chief Minister, also president of the ruling DMK, also recalled the party’s legal battle to protect the interests of the Muslim community with regard to Waqf saying “The DMK has consistently opposed these amendments from the time the Bill was introduced in Parliament. After it became an Act, the DMK challenged it in the Supreme Court and succeeded, alongside others.
“The DMK Government also passed an assembly resolution urging the Union Government to withdraw the #WaqfAmendment Bill, countering the BJP’s attempt to misuse governmental power.”
Ahead of the upcoming 2026 assembly election, it is a shot in the arm for the DMK which commands a captive vote bank among the minorities. It can be used as a stick to beat the AIADMK-BJP combine in the campaign.
Advertisement
