CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the union government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, arguing that it would severely affect the minority Muslim community.
All political parties, including the AIADMK, supported the resolution, whereas BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan opposed it and led her party MLAs to a walkout ahead of the resolution being put to vote.
“People practising all faiths live in harmony in India, and the Constitution gives the rights to people to practise their religions. Popular governments have to preserve this right. Contrary to this, the centre introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in August last year to amend the 1995 Waqf Act, which would severely affect the Muslim community. As such, this House urges the union government to withdraw this Bill in toto,” the resolution moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had rejected the amendments proposed by the opposition parties, he said, adding that “against this backdrop, this Bill can be introduced in Parliament at any time. Given the urgency of this matter, we have to register our opposition to it”.
The CM issued a list of reasons why it should be withdrawn. “Through these amendments, the infrastructure of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards would be changed, and the government’s control over these bodies would increase, infringing on the autonomy of the Waqf institutions,” he said, adding that another amendment which states that only a person who has practised Islam for not less than five years alone could declare a property as Waqf, has led to apprehensions that the Waqf properties of non-Muslims could be termed invalid. The CM charged the Bill proposes to create separate property boards for two sects of Islam.
The CM said the Bill proposes to abolish the elections to State Waqf Board members and chairpersons, besides mandating the inclusion of two non-Muslims as members of the State Waqf Boards, which “interferes in the religious affairs of Muslims”.
It is also proposed the Limitation Act be made applicable to the Waqf properties. Moreover, trusts and charitable institutions will no longer be considered as Waqf entities, according to an amendment. “The above clauses are the key reasons why Muslims are opposing this amendment, but the union government does not consider them,” the CM said.
Stalin referred to another proposal for removing Section 40 of the Waqf Act which takes away the Waqf board’s powers to identify its properties and, in turn, transfer this power to the government.
“The amendment Bill has many discriminatory clauses which reject religious freedom, violate the constitutional provisions, go against the objectives of the Waqf, are contrary to the courts’ verdicts, and remain confusing and unnecessary. In due course, these amendments will paralyse the Waqf institutions and thus, we have to oppose it,” he said.
Meanwhile, thanking LoP Edappadi K Palaniswami, for raising the two-language policy during his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the CM said, “When the LoP visits Delhi next time, I request him to raise this issue also.”