The DMK will move the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, which was passed in the Lok Sabha past Wednesday midnight after a 12 hour debate, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin announced on Thursday.
“The proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995 are detrimental to the religious harmony of India and will severely impact the minority Muslim community,” Stalin said in the Legislative Assembly. Last month, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had adopted a resolution urging the Centre to “completely withdraw” the Waqf Bill. On Thursday, legislators of the DMK and its allies, sported black badges as a mark of protest against the passing of the Bill in the Lok Sabha.
Stalin said though most political parties had opposed the proposed amendments, the Bill was passed. “This is condemnable,” he said and pointed out though the Bill was passed – with 288 MPs in favour – it was opposed by as many as 232 MPs, a number which was not small. “This Bill should not just be opposed. It should be completely withdrawn,” he said.
The DMK leader described the passage of the Bill at around 2 am an attack on the Constitution of India and an act that “undermines religious harmony.”
BJP legislators walked out of the House, while all parties hailed the Chief Minister’s announcement condemning the passage of the Bill. Significantly, the AIADMK too backed him.
