Tamil Nadu Waqf land row: Over 150 families in Kattukollai protest over eviction fear

A fresh land ownership controversy has triggered panic and protests in Tamil Nadu, where around 150 families from Kattukollai village in Vellore district have received notices claiming their houses and agricultural land as Waqf property. 

The villagers, many of whom have lived on the land for four generations, say they are stunned by the eviction threat and have launched protests seeking urgent government intervention.

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The notice, reportedly issued by Syed Ali Sultan Shah, claims the land belongs to a local dargah and demands that the residents either vacate or start paying rent to the Waqf Board. The disputed lands include farmlands and residential plots that form the backbone of the villagers’ livelihood.

In response, villagers approached the Vellore District Collector's office, presenting government-issued ownership documents and urging the administration to issue pattas (ownership titles) to protect their rights and prevent forced displacement.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Tamil Nadu Congress has openly backed the Waqf Board’s claims, with Congress MLA Hassan Maulana asserting, "Once Waqf land, always Waqf land." According to him, villagers must pay rent to the Waqf Board if their land is registered under it — a stance that has drawn sharp criticism from local residents and political groups.

The Waqf Board reportedly has its eyes on land in 150 villages across Tamil Nadu, with many residents unaware that their properties are listed in Waqf records. 

The current tension unfolds against the backdrop of the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which has sparked national debates about land rights and transparency in Waqf records.

This is not the first such dispute. In 2022, the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board claimed ownership of the entire Tiruchendurai village in Tiruchirappalli district, including nearly 480 acres of land and the ancient 1,500-year-old Manendiavalli Sametha Chandrasekhar Swamy temple. That case, too, caused outrage and legal wrangling, with villagers caught in bureaucratic and religious crossfire.

The recurring claims and lack of clarity in Waqf land records have raised fears of large-scale displacement in rural Tamil Nadu. As protests grow and legal battles loom, the villagers of Kottukollai are demanding transparency, ownership rights, and an end to what they call “land grabbing in the name of faith.”