Stalin welcomes SC order stalling provisions of 2025 Waqf law

Chennai, Sep 15 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court interim order stalling key provisions in the 2025 Waqf law, saying it was a major step towards "undoing the unconstitutional and illegal amendments made by the BJP government." The apex court put on hold several key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the clause that only those practising Islam for the last five years can dedicate a property as Waqf, but refused to stay the entire law.

The bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih also pressed pause on the powers given to a district Collector to adjudicate the status of waqf properties and ruled on the contentious issue of non-Muslim participation in Waqf Boards, directing that the Central Waqf Council should not have more than four non-Muslim members out of 20, and State Waqf Boards not more than three of 11.

"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," Stalin, president of the DMK, said in a post on 'X.' "Today's order strengthens the hope and trust that people place in the Hon'ble Supreme Court to safeguard the religious rights of the Muslim minority community and to uphold the Constitution," he added. SA ROH