Waqf Amendment Bill against national unity, says Thirumavalavan

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which has been passed in both the Houses of Parliament, goes against the spirit of national unity, VCK leader and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan said. File
| Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which has been passed in both the Houses of Parliament, goes against the spirit of national unity, VCK leader and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan said on Saturday.

He told mediapersons here on Saturday that the VCK would organise protests on April 8 in district headquarters to oppose the amendments. “While the Union government does not interfere in property matters of other religious communities, it is aggressively interfering in the affairs of the Waqf Board,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said.

He criticised the provision in the amendment that permits the appointment of non-Muslims to the Waqf Board — a move defended by the BJP as a step towards administrative transparency. Drawing a parallel with the Buddhist community, he pointed out that Buddhist monks had resisted similar interventions, particularly the appointment of non-Buddhists to manage the Mahabodhi Vihar in Bodh Gaya.

He noted that 232 members in the Lok Sabha and 95 members in the Rajya Sabha had voted against the Bill. “The AIADMK’s opposition to the Bill is a small consolation,” he added.

Mr. Thirumavalavan further said that two MPs from Bihar had resigned from their respective party posts in protest against the Waqf Board amendments, signalling growing discontent within the BJP’s alliance and marking a setback for the ruling coalition.