Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday urged MPs from the state to take a stand on the Waqf Amendment Bill, emphasizing that helping people should take precedence over appeasement politics. His remarks come as several Christian organizations, including the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), extended support to the proposed amendments after reports surfaced of poor families in Munambam facing the threat of land seizure by the Waqf Board.
“KCBC and many other Christian organizations are asking Kerala MPs to support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill because, in Munambam near Cochin, hundreds of poor families fear their land may be seized,” Chandrasekhar told ANI.
He stressed that people have been protesting against the issue for years and called on MPs to act in the public’s interest rather than resorting to appeasement politics. “Congress MPs must take a stand. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is not against any community; it is about aligning the law with India’s constitutional values,” he added.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also defended the bill, dismissing claims that it targeted any community. “This act is not against any community—that is propaganda being spread to mislead people,” he posted on X, welcoming the KCBC’s support.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also praised the KCBC’s call for amendments, stating, “Their call is for amending sections that are ‘unfair’ and ‘anti-constitutional’ in the existing Waqf Act.”
The KCBC has urged MPs to support changes to the Waqf Act, citing concerns that certain provisions legitimize “illegal claims” over land, preventing affected families in Munambam from exercising their rightful ownership.
With around 610 families in Munambam protesting against the Waqf Board’s claim over their land, the issue has sparked a larger political debate in Kerala, with the BJP pushing for legislative reforms while opposition parties weigh their stance.
