TN CM Stalin writes to PM Modi urging complete evacuation of WAQF (Amendment) bills

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. File | Picture source: Special arrangement

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (2 April 2025), urging the coalition government to completely withdraw the proposed WAQF (Amendment) bill of 2024, which has been discussed in Lok Sabha.

In his letter, Mr Stalin said that Tamil Nadu was at the forefront of protecting the rights of ethnic minorities living in the state that are harmonious and religiously friendly.

The Indian Constitution grants every citizen the right to follow his or her own religion, and the elected government has the responsibility to safeguard and protect this right. However, the proposed amendment to the 1995 WAQF Act has not yet considered constitutional protection for ethnic minorities and must seriously undermine the interests of Muslim communities.

The provisions in the existing WAQF Act have been tested in time and they provide protection for WAQF’s property. Stalin pointed out that the amendment proposed by the WAQF Act will undermine the powers and responsibilities of the WAQF Board of Directors in the management and protection of WAQF Properties.

He said that in the existing behavior, the massive modifications proposed by the various parts of the proposed will dilute the spirit of the behavior itself.

Stalin said the proposed mandatory nature includes two non-Muslim members on the state WAQF board, which will undermine the Muslim community’s ability to independently manage their religious and charitable donations.

Deleting the “User WAQF” clause threatens the status of many historical WAQF attributes. He said that only individuals who have practiced Islam for at least five years can donate property to the WAQF, and this provision can prevent non-Muslims from donating property, which will hinder the country’s culture of compliance.

Stalin said that the existing WAQF Act since 1995 has been sufficient and has clear provisions to safeguard the interests and property of the WAQF, so we do not think there is such a profound amendment to the existing bill.

He also pointed out that the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu passed a unanimous resolution on March 27, 2025, urging the coalition government to completely withdraw the proposed WAQF (Amendment) bill, 2024.

Mr. Stalin asked Mr. Modi for personal intervention to protect the interests of Muslim minorities and safeguard the interests of WAQF institutions.