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The Tamil Nadu assembly on Thursday passed a resolution against the Centre's proposed Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 and insisted that the Union government recall it since it would badly affect the minority Muslims.
Chief Minister MK Stalin charged the provisions in the amendment bill amount to interference in religious affairs. The resolution was passed amidst a protest and walkout by the BJP members and found support from all other parties including the principal opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Bharatiya Janata Party's ally, the Pattali Makkal Katchi.
BJP charged the resolution was ruling DMK "usual divisive politics."
Piloting the resolution, Stalin said the attempt to amend Waqf Act would hinder the Waqf Board's powers.
"This is against the freedom of religion. This is hurting Muslim sentiments," Stalin said and claimed it was an assault on the constitutional rights of minorities and their institutions.
"We will continue to oppose this," he asserted.
Listing out the consequences of the Bill, the chief minister said the Central government wanted to amend the Bill leading to government control over the Waqf Board and properties.
"This will affect the autonomy of the Waqf Boards, transfer the rights to survey the lands to district collectors from the survey department commissioner, remove the board's powers in deciding on its lands, and include two non-Muslims as members in the board. This amounts to interference in the religious affairs," he claimed.
Muslims fear that a provision in the Bill mandating the collectors to verify the lands before the registration, would pave the way for the government to acquire their lands, thus violating religious freedom, he said.
"Further, the repeal of Section 40 of the Waqf Act is a constitutional violation of religious freedom under Article 26. It is necessary to register our protest against this deceptive law," he said opposing the Bill.
The resolution stated that the people were living in religious harmony in India and the Constitution has provided rights for all people to follow their religion.
"The elected governments have the right to protect it. The assembly unanimously insists that the Union Government should completely withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill as it severely affects the minority Muslims, it read.
Earlier speaking on the resolution, BJP member Vanathi Srinivasan said the Centre decided to amend the Waqf Act following complaints of irregularities in the management of the Waqf properties.
"A Joint Parliamentary Committee met people's representatives and obtained their opinion," she said.
Immediately, law minister S Regupathy said the Centre had not responded to the objections raised on the issue.
Stalin said two DMK members who were part of the JPC were not allowed to speak nor were their views recorded.
PMK's G K Mani and AIADMK's S P Velumani supported the resolution.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Vanathi Srinivasan accused the ruling DMK of enacting a 'political drama' on religious harmony and said the state government has a separate ministry under its control to administer the Hindu temples.
"And he (chief minister) is teaching a lesson on religious freedom. The (Central) amendment has been proposed to ensure transparency in administration. This (resolution) is the usual DMK's divisive politics of majority and minority. It has been brought for politics and a drama has been enacted," she charged.
On August 8, 2024, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha aiming to streamline the Waqf Board's work and ensure the efficient management of the Waqf properties.