CHENNAI: Keeping an eye on the minorities, more particularly the Muslim vote bank, without any demand being made by them, Chief Minister MK Stalin rained promise after promise at an IUML conference held at the temple city of Kumbakonam on January 29, ahead of the scheduled Assembly elections in the state
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced five welfare schemes at the conference. These include the setting up of a third Waqf Tribunal at Coimbatore; an increase in pension for Ulemas (1,537) registered with the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000; an increase in family pension from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500; and an enhancement of family pension from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 for 44 Waqf Board members.
Chief Minister Stalin made these announcements while speaking at the State Mahalla Jamaats Conference organised by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) near Kumbakonam, in which office-bearers of around 8,000 Jamaats across the state participated.
CM also said that, in the first phase, 1,000 Ulemas would receive the increased subsidy of Rs 50,000 for purchasing two-wheelers. Other announcements include the creation of Kabaristans in city corporation areas where none exist, and filling up of 10 vacant posts of Urdu language teachers in government high schools and higher secondary schools.
He claimed that only the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance has the strength to defeat the “anti-people” AIADMK–BJP alliance in the upcoming Assembly election.
The CM said, “The only state in the country which is safe for Muslims is Tamil Nadu. The DMK has been protecting the minorities and hence incidents like mob lynching could not rear their head in Tamil Nadu.”
Accusing the NDA, more particularly the BJP, Chief Minister Stalin said the efforts of those trying to disturb peace had been in vain. Hence, they formed, in their own interest, an alliance of those who are servile, threatened by agencies like the ED, CBI, and the Income Tax Department. But for the AIADMK’s support, the CAA Bill would have been defeated in the Rajya Sabha. His DMK government has courageously declared that the CAA would not be implemented in Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the DMK’s vote against the Triple Talaq Bill and the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said, “If the BJP alliance comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will ruin the developed state. Only the DMK alliance has the courage and strength to stop it from coming to power.”
He urged IUML cadres, particularly youth and women, to campaign for those who will protect them and enable their growth.
IUML National Chief K.M. Kader Mohideen, who presided over the meeting, said his party and members of the Mahalla Jamaats would ensure the DMK’s continued presence in Tamil Nadu.
Hindu outfits questioned whether Stalin’s announcements are secular for the DMK and its allies. They pointed out that he never makes such outreach to the majority of Hindus and makes no such promises to them. Without Hindu votes, it will not come to power. They termed it an ungrateful and cheating act, stating that Hindus being divided is advantageous for the DMK and the so-called secular parties.
Coming down heavily on the partisan attitude of the DMK, Village Poojaries Federation Managing Trustee S. Vedantham and Trustee R.R. Gopalji said in a statement that, without their asking, the DMK government has showered promises on Muslims. They said it is a pity that the action of the DMK is rubbing chunam on the eyes of Hindus and butter on the eyes of Muslims. Recalling that their demands for years together were not fulfilled, they said their outfit, whose members are mostly poor temple poojaris, should be paid Rs 10,000 per month as salary and Rs 5,000 for retired ones, besides a family pension of Rs 2,500 per month.
During the 2021 Assembly polls, in its poll manifesto, at serial number 406, the DMK announced that the monthly salary and pension would be enhanced for members of the Village Poojaries Welfare Board. This was done to secure their votes. It also promised that the total number of beneficiaries would be raised to 10,000. However, after winning the elections and nearing completion of its five-year term, the promises are yet to be implemented.
In Tamil Nadu, there are 3 lakh 90 thousand village temples, most of them dedicated to village deities. They are the backbone of Tamil culture and customs. They were not made members of the Welfare Board, and the membership was kept below 10,000. The HR&CE Department, which has been enjoying crores of rupees in temple revenue, did not increase the number of temples permitted for one-session pooja (one pooja per day) beyond 17,000 temples. This, they said, reflects a blatant partisan attitude, even as the DMK government claims to be inclusive of all religions.
The DMK has already made several assurances to Christians during Christmas celebration functions. On December 23, while taking part in a Christmas celebration organised in Perambur, Chennai, Stalin said: “Minorities across the country are living in fear, and the DMK alone can protect them from fascist forces. I need not explain the sense of fear with which minority communities in this country are living today. The DMK alone has the capacity, the ideology, and the resolve to resist authoritarian forces that instil fear even among the citizens of this nation.”
Responding to DMK MLA Inigo Irudhayaraj’s demand to scrap the condition of obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from district collectors for plan approvals for religious buildings, Stalin assured, “The system will be scrapped. There is no need to obtain NOCs from district collectors for getting plan approvals for religious buildings constructed between 2019 and 2024.”
However, a week ago, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court stayed the operation of a Government Order passed by the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department on January 8, 2026. The order stated that religious buildings that commenced functioning between 2019 and 2024 need not submit an NOC for planning permission, provided they comply with the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019.
