In a statement released yesterday, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai expressed his support for the upcoming amendments to the Waqf Board Act, introduced by the central government. He emphasized that the amendments are designed to serve the welfare of all communities, not just one group.“The central government is bringing in amendments to the Waqf Board Act, and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has provided clarification on this matter. Various Islamic organizations have already met with the central minister and expressed their full support for these changes. However, as usual, opposition parties, without understanding the reality, are opposing these amendments to mislead the public.
In India, the Waqf Board holds a vast amount of land, second only to the military and railways. The Waqf Board currently owns approximately 9.40 lakh acres of land. Recently, there was an issue in Tiruchendurai village, near Tiruchirappalli, where it was claimed that the entire village was Waqf property.
However, the Sundareswarar Temple in Tiruchendurai is over 1,500 years old. Given this fact, how can the village be declared as Waqf property? This problem is not isolated; similar issues are present across Tamil Nadu, including in Tiruchirappalli and Vellore.
Currently, if a landowner wants to sell their property and it is declared as Waqf property, they are required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Waqf Board before they can sell the land at the Registrarās office. This has caused significant distress to the general public.
The upcoming Waqf Board Act amendments will address these issues, ensuring peace in society and benefiting the Muslim community. This legislation is not intended to be against anyone. Therefore, parties like the DMK should refrain from their usual tactics of misleading the public on this issue.”
Annamalai concluded by urging opposition parties to avoid creating unnecessary confusion and to recognise the broader benefits of the proposed amendments for all communities.