Kerala govt 'completely surrendered' to BJP on Waqf issue: Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 17 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday accused the state government of "completely surrendering" to the BJP by deciding to implement the amended Waqf Act, including the provision for appointing two non-Muslim members to the State Waqf Board. Addressing a press conference here, Vijayan alleged that the government had abandoned the stand it had taken against the controversial amendments to the Waqf Act and informed the Kerala High Court that it was prepared to implement the law "without missing a single dot or comma." "A case came up before the High Court regarding this issue and the government aligned itself with the petitioners. An interim order has now been issued. This is a highly shocking development," he said. Vijayan claimed the Centre had comprehensively amended the Waqf Act in 2025 in line with the Sangh Parivar's agenda by introducing several changes, including a provision mandating the appointment of non-Muslims to Waqf Boards. "The Waqf Board is an institution belonging exclusively to the Muslim community. The Sangh Parivar has attempted to infiltrate its administration by bringing in non-Muslims. That is what the BJP government has implemented through the amended law," he alleged. Referring to allegations raised by the UDF before the Assembly elections regarding an alleged "political deal" between the LDF and the BJP, Vijayan said recent developments had exposed the ruling front instead. "It is not a secret understanding or a handshake with the Sangh Parivar. What has come to light is complete surrender and sycophancy. This is disgraceful and utterly shameful. A strong protest will emerge against this," he alleged. He said Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal had initially registered strong objections to the controversial provisions after the law was enacted and noted that only BJP-ruled states had so far appointed non-Muslims to Waqf Boards. Vijayan said the Kerala Assembly, during the previous LDF government's tenure, had unanimously passed a resolution on October 16, 2024 opposing the Centre's move to amend the Waqf law, with the Congress-led UDF and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supporting the resolution. "However, the present government has now informed the Kerala High Court that it is prepared to fully implement the very law against which concern had earlier been expressed," he alleged. Quoting from the written statement filed by the state government before the High Court on July 14, Vijayan read out: "The government is prepared to reconstitute the Board strictly in compliance with the mandate of Section 14 of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act." He alleged that the statement was filed before the High Court through the Special Government Pleader, who was a nominee of the Muslim League, and that the Advocate General had personally appeared before the court and adopted the same stand on behalf of the government. Explaining the composition of the State Waqf Board, Vijayan said Section 14 of the amended Act provided for a Board comprising not more than 11 members nominated by the state government, including two non-Muslim members. He said nine of the 11 members had already been appointed during the previous LDF government's tenure and the order itself had stated that the remaining two members would be nominated later. Section 14, he said, also required representation for Sunni, Shia and backward Muslim communities and other sects wherever applicable, depending on the circumstances in each state. "The quorum for a meeting of the Waqf Board is only five. Therefore, there is absolutely no legal impediment to the Board convening meetings or carrying on its functions even now," he said. "Despite this, the government and the Advocate General have taken a stubborn stand before the High Court that two non-Muslims must be appointed in accordance with the Central Act. Among the non-BJP-ruled states, Kerala has now adopted the same stand as BJP governments," he alleged. Describing the move as "a complete betrayal of minorities and secular society", Vijayan pointed out that several petitions challenging various provisions of the amended Waqf Act, including the appointment of non-Muslims to Waqf Boards, were pending before the Supreme Court. He said the IUML was among the petitioners challenging those provisions before the apex court. "The irony is that a minister from the IUML holds the Waqf portfolio in the state government. As soon as he assumed charge, he was seen taking a stand contrary to the League's declared policy. I do not believe this is the minister's personal stand. It can only be assumed that the Indian Union Muslim League itself has changed its position," he alleged. Vijayan said the previous LDF government had decided to defer any decision on appointing non-Muslim members until the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the constitutional validity of the amended law. "Politically, the UDF had agreed with this stand while in the Opposition. But after coming to power, it informed the High Court that these two non-Muslims must be included and that the law would be implemented without missing a single dot or comma. This has caused concern among minorities and secular-minded people," he alleged. PTI TBA TBA KH