NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has welcomed the request by Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) to all MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. He said the BJP government strives to protect the rights of every Indian citizen and will continue to do so.
”I welcome the request by Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) to all MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill as a Minister and as a minority community member. It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. For example, hundreds of families in #Munambam, Kerala have suffered and continue to seek a solution to protect their properties and homes,” he said in his post on X.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, mandates digital registration of Waqf properties within six months, bringing efficiency, transparency & accountability. Mr Rijiju pointed out that this act is not against any community – that is propaganda being spread to poison the minds of some.
”Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji & our Govt strive to protect the rights of every Indian citizen and will continue to do so. I sincerely hope all Kerala MPs will support this Bill in the interest of all people and not sacrifice the interests of people for petty appeasement politics,” he said.
Wishing everyone a joyous and blessed Eid-ul-Fitr, he said in his message ”May this special day bring happiness, prosperity & new opportunities for all. Let’s celebrate the spirit of togetherness & gratitude with our loved ones.”
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said the support of KCBC on the Waqf Amendment Bill is coming as a strong response to those ‘Bhadkaau Bhaijaan’ Committee members who are trying to use the Waqf in order to polarise insight and in order to mislead the Muslim community.
”It was never an issue of minority versus majority. The unlimited powers given to Waqf have led to land grabbing even of the Christian community…Today, this is an issue between land grabbers and poor Muslims, but those who are turning it into Hindu versus Muslim or majority versus minority have got a tight slap from KCBC,” he noted.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has urged MPs from the state to vote in favour of the Waqf Amendment Bill when it comes up for discussion in Parliament. KCBC president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos in a statement issued on Saturday, demanded that “when the Bill is taken for debate in Parliament, the people’s representatives from Kerala should vote in favour of amending the sections which are unfair and anti-constitutional”. The KCBC is a powerful organisation of Catholic bishops in Kerala belonging to the Syro-Malabar, Latin and Syro-Malankara Churches.
Regarding the Waqf Board’s claim on around 400-odd acres of land at Munambam in Ernakulam district, which has mainly been in the possession of Christian residents for generations, the Cardinal said, “Various clauses in the Waqf Act, which have prevented the occupants of the land from enjoying their legal rights, should be amended. The Farook College management (in Kozhikode, which sold the land to the occupants), had already stated that the land was gifted to them. Hence, people’s representatives should vote in favour of the amendment, which will prevent the Waqf Board from making claims on the land.”
MPs from both the CPI-M-led LDF and Congress-led UDF in Kerala have opposed the Waqf amendment Bill. The KCBC has earlier approached the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, urging ‘immediate and decisive action’ to resolve the matter.
The Waqf Amendment Bill is expected to be reintroduced during the ongoing session of Parliament. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in the Lok Sabha on Friday that the Central government would introduce the Waqf Amendment Bill during the current session itself.
BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has welcomed the KCBC’s appeal to MPs to support the bill, calling it a step in the right direction. He urged all MPs from Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill stating that such a stance is necessary for addressing the land-related issues being faced by the fishing community in Munambam. He asked all MPs, including those from Congress, to ensure that laws remain consistent with the Constitution and address real issues faced by the people.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, is being opposed by Muslims across the country. Recently, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called for nationwide protests against the bill. Several opposition parties have also expressed strong opposition to the proposed legislation, branding it as an assault on Muslim rights, Constitutional values and, most amusingly, as something that ‘hurts’ Muslim sentiments. In this situation, the support of an organisation of Catholic bishops in Kerala belonging to the Syro-Malabar, Latin and Syro-Malankara Churches has come as a significant development.