'Will harm interests of Muslims': MK Stalin writes letter to PM Modi to withdraw Waqf Bill

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought a "complete withdrawal" of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Stalin's letter to PM Modi, shared by the Tamil Nadu chief minister's office on X, came on a day when the Lok Sabha is holding an eight-hour discussion on the Waqf Bill. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led ruling National Democratic Alliance has the numbers to ensure the bill's passage, while Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a member of the opposition INDIA bloc, which is opposing the bill.

"The Constitution of India grants every citizen the right to follow their respective religion and it is the duty of the elected governments to uphold and protect this right. However, the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995 have not taken into consideration the constitutional protection given to minorities and are bound to severely harm the interest of Muslim community," Stalin wrote.

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The DMK head described provisions in the existing Waqf Act as "time-tested" and "protector" of the Waqf Board's properties.
On the other hand, the amendments proposed in the new act would "weaken" the powers and responsibilities of Waqf Boards in the management and protection of their properties, he argued.
Further, Stalin cited three proposed amendments to back his claim that the proposed "large-scale modifications" would "dilute the very spirit of the Act itself."
"The mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in State Waqf Boards will undermine the religious autonomy of the Muslim community's ability to manage its religious and charitable endowments independently. Removal of the 'Waqf by user' provision threatens the status of many historical Waqf properties. The stipulation that the individuals who practiced Islam for at least five years only can donate properties to Waqf will prevent non-Muslims from donating properties to Waqf which will hinder the syncretic culture of the country," Stalin noted.
"Since the existing Waqf Act, 1995 is adequate and has clear-cut provisions to safeguard the interest and properties of Waqfs, it is our view that there is no need for such far reaching amendments to the existing Waqf Act, 1995," he concluded.