CHENNAI: Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister S M Nasar on Saturday clarified that the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board will not be reconstituted under the amended Waqf Act until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.
In a statement, the minister said the union government has brought in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 1995, rechristened as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, with effect from April 8, 2025.
The ruling DMK has consistently opposed this amended legislation and even challenged it in the Supreme Court, he said. “Several other stakeholders have also filed petitions against the new law. Taking these into account, the Supreme Court had passed an interim order staying certain provisions of the amended Act on September 15,” Nasar said.
The minister reiterated that the government’s stance has been to protect the rights and interests of the Muslim community, which has voiced its concerns over the amendments.
Meanwhile, in a statement, MMK president M H Jawahirulla urged the state government to ensure that the functions of the Waqf board continue without interruption. “The TN government must immediately appoint a special officer and also take steps to promptly fill the post of assistant secretary, which has been lying vacant for nearly two years.”