Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Thiru. Vijay, a self-proclaimed champion of Tamil pride, stands exposed as a hypocrite while Tamil Nadu’s heritage burns under the weight of Waqf Board overreach. Despite TVK’s much-touted legal challenge against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, which Vijay hailed as a victory for constitutional justice, his silence on the Waqf Board’s insidious land grabs targeting Hindus, Christians, and Muslims alike is nothing short of a betrayal. As a Tamil citizen, I confront Vijay with five piercing questions that lay bare his selective activism and demand answers—answers that Tamil Nadu’s beleaguered citizens deserve.
Temple Lands Under Siege: Where Is Your Voice, Vijay?
Why has Vijay turned a blind eye to the Waqf Board’s illegal encroachments on temple lands, such as Kanchipuram’s 5,000 acres or Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple estates? Court orders for reclamation have languished, yet Vijay, who claims to champion Tamil heritage, remains mute. If the Waqf Board can overreach, what stops the HR&CE Department from asserting control over 36,000 Tamil Nadu temples—an act that violates the same principles Vijay claims to defend? His silence on this strangulating grip on Hindu sanctuaries is a slap in the face to Tamil Nadu’s spiritual legacy.
HR&CE’s Overreach and DMK’s Cultural Assault: Why No Outrage?
The HR&CE Department’s control over Tamil Nadu temples isn’t the only assault on the state’s identity. The DMK’s amendments to seize temple arts colleges and properties—vital to Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage—have sparked no outrage from Vijay. Why does he remain silent while the DMK erodes Tamil Nadu’s spiritual legacy? His inaction contrasts starkly with his vocal opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, revealing a cherry-picked activism that prioritizes optics over substance.
Double Standards on Temple Boards: Hypocrisy Laid Bare
Vijay decried non-Muslims on Waqf Boards as unconstitutional, yet he has nothing to say about government-appointed non-practicing Hindus, Christians, and Muslims managing temple boards—a clear violation of religious self-governance. In Andhra Pradesh in 2018, 44 non-Hindu employees, including Christians, were found working in the sacred Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). In 2015, a Muslim served on the TTD Board, outraging devotees. These appointments flout TTD’s Hindu-only policy, yet Vijay, who claims to stand for justice, has offered no condemnation. His selective outrage mirrors the Waqf Board issue he opposes, exposing a glaring double standard.
Waqf’s Land Grabs: A Selective Crusade?
Has Vijay ever scrutinized the Waqf Board’s disproportionate land claims, annexing properties without transparent notification? Section 40 of the Waqf Act, 1995, empowered Waqf Boards to unilaterally declare any property as Waqf based on mere “reason to believe,” without requiring documentary proof. This unchecked power, fueled by the “Waqf by user” provision, enabled Waqf Boards to claim private, ancestral, and public lands, often ignoring legal titles and sparking communal tensions. Between 1913 and 2025, Waqf land holdings ballooned from 18 lakh to 39 lakh acres, with 21 lakh acres added post-2013 due to Section 40’s draconian reach. Critics, including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, have called it “draconian,” yet Vijay’s crusade against the Waqf Amendment Bill ignores these prior abuses. Why this selective activism?
Three Egregious Cases Vijay Ignored
Section 40’s misuse fueled some of the most shameful Waqf claims, yet Vijay, the self-styled champion, remained mute:
Munambam, Kerala (2019): The Waqf Board claimed 400 acres in Munambam, Ernakulam, including a 300-year-old temple, homes, and schools, based on a flimsy 1950s donation claim. Over 600 families holding pattas since the 1960s were declared “encroachers” without a hearing, leaving them in despair. A temple predating the Waqf claim was targeted—an affront to Hindu heritage. Vijay, where was your outrage for Munambam’s Hindus?
Kattukollai, Vellore, Tamil Nadu (April 2025): Ancestral lands in Kattukollai were snatched by the Waqf Board, claiming them as Waqf property since 1954 under Section 40. The Syed Ali Sultan Shah Dargah issued eviction notices to 150 families with registered deeds, ordering them to pay rent or vacate. The Board’s inquiry ignored documentation, sparking protests and communal discord. Vijay, you tout constitutional fairness—why no word for Kattukollai’s Tamils?
Thiruchendurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu (2022): The Tamil Nadu Waqf Board claimed 1,500-year-old Chola-era Sundareswarar Temple land in Thiruchendurai, along with 480 acres, under Section 40. Farmer Rajagopal, seeking to sell his 1.2-acre plot, was told to get Waqf approval based on a 245-page circular claiming the village as an 18th-century “inam” gift. Villagers’ pattas and the temple’s sanctity were dismissed. Vijay, if Waqf’s overreach is unconstitutional, why no defense of this Hindu shrine?
A Legacy of Opportunism
Vijay’s crusade on Waqf Boards rings hollow when he ignores non-Hindus managing Hindu temples—Christians and Muslims in TTD and Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee appointed a Muslim to head the Tarakeshwar Temple Development Board, prioritizing politics over faith. Munambam, Kattukollai, and Thiruchendurai suffered under Waqf’s arbitrary claims, enabled by Section 40’s corruption, yet Vijay cherry-picks his battles. His selective activism fractures Tamil unity and betrays the heritage he claims to protect.
If Vijay truly stands for justice, he must confront all wrongs—non-Hindu temple appointees, Waqf’s overreach, and the DMK’s cultural seizures—with equal zeal. Otherwise, his legacy will be one of opportunism, cheering one victory while Tamil Nadu’s soul bleeds. The shame of his hypocrisy demands an answer.
When Tamil Land Is at Stake, Why
Is Thiru. @TVKVijayHQ @actorvijay Vijay avl Silent? 5 Open
Questions to him that Demand
Answers !! pic.twitter.com/UVHJ88P7kX— S Sundar Raman (@ssundarraman) April 19, 2025
S Sundar Raman is a Chartered Accountant and the Vice President of BJP Tamil Nadu’s Thinker’s Cell
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.