New Delhi: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has decided to challenge the passage of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. The ruling party of Tamil Nadu will take the matter to the Supreme Court as it believes the legislation will impact the minority Muslim community.
The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on late Wednesday night with 288 MPs voted in favour of the bill, and 232 voted against it. This was after Union Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju moved the bill in the lower house of the parliament on Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin walked into the state’s Legislative Assembly wearing a black ribbon to show his protest against the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. He questioned the passage of the bill at 2am and called it an attack on the structure of the democracy.
“This is an act that disturbs religious harmony. To highlight this, we are participating in today’s Assembly proceedings wearing black badges,” the Tamil Nadu CM told the House.
“I would like to inform you that a case will be filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) against this controversial amendment. Tamil Nadu will fight against the Union government’s law which destroys the autonomy of the Waqf Board and threatens the minority Muslim population,” Stalin said amidst thumping of desks by the Treasury.
Stalin further said that the state Assembly had passed a resolution on March 27 against the amendment bill as it believed that it would affect the religious harmony of India. He said that the numbers of 232 members voting against the bill may increase.
DMK’s major rival in Tamil Nadu, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) expressed its support to the state government in its opposition the Waqf Bill despite the talks of the two (AIADMK and BJP) aligning together once again being in the corner.
SP Velumani, a AIADMK member and former state minister, said that his party supported Stalin’s resoultion on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Assembly.
“The Centre should make necessary changes in consultation with the minorities. The bill in its present form should be revoked. The AIADMK will be supportive of the state government on this issue,” Velumani said.
However, BJP leaders decided to walk out of the Assembly after Stalin’s announcement. Nainar Nagendran told the reporters the walkout was in protest to Stalin’s attempts to portray the BJP Central Government as anit-Muslims.
“The Bill was subjected to scrutiny and appropriate changes made before being passed in the Lok Sabha after a debate. But the Chief Minister made his party MLAs wear black badges in the Assembly and they raised slogans,” Nagendran said.
