By DC Correspondent

Copyright deccanchronicle

CHENNAI: Describing the Supreme Court staying key provisions of the BJP government’s amendments to the Waqf Act, Chief Minister M K Stalin said Monday’s order was a major step towards undoing unconstitutional and illegal amendments made to laws by the BJP government. In a message on his X page, Stalin said the DMK had consistently opposed the amendments from the time the Bill was introduced in Parliament and after it became an Act, the DMK challenged it in the Supreme Court and succeeded, alongside others. The DMK Government also passed an assembly resolution urging the Union Government to withdraw theWaqf Amendment Bill, countering the BJP’s attempt to misuse governmental power, he recalled Among the key provisions of the amendments that were stayed were the mandatory 5-year practice requirement before dedicating a Waqf, the power to divest Waqf properties on mere allegation of being government property, pending report of a designated officer or decision of Government. The other provisions stayed were Collector’s power to denotify ‘Waqf by user’ (property treated as Waqf after long period of religious use) and inclusion of more than 4 non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Board and more than 3 in the State Waqf Boards, thereby ensuring Muslim majority in these Boards. Monday’s order strengthened the hope and trust that people place on the Supreme Court to safeguard the religious rights of the Muslim minority community and to uphold the Constitution, he said.