Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader VD Satheesan asserted that the Kerala government and the Wakf Board should take the initiative to resolve the land dispute in Munambam. Addressing the media on Thursday, the Congress leader accused the state government of failing to settle the issue while the residents of Munambam have been protesting for the last 172 days. He alleged that the LDF government is enforcing the Sangh Parivar agenda in Munambam, eyeing political gains in the upcoming elections.

Speaking about the Waqf Amendment Act, he said that the act would not benefit the protesters in Munambam as it does not have any retrospective effect. Responding to questions about Rahul Gandhi’s silence in the Lok Sabha during the bill's tabling, the Congress leader claimed that the party had already taken a stance to oppose the bill, which was introduced in violation of the rights of minorities. He added that the amendment bill was part of the Sangh Parivar agenda to create communal riots in the country.

“The Waqf Amendment Act has nothing to do with the Munambam issue. We can resolve the issue if the Kerala government and the state Wakf Board take the initiative. This is because the land possessed by the people of Munambam is not Wakf land. Farooq College had collected money for the land allocated to people belonging to the Latin Christian community, claiming it was a conditional Wakf procedure. However, this is impractical as there is no provision for conditional allotment in Wakf rules,” said Satheesan.

He added that the Sangh Parivar is trying to create a communal riot between two minority groups in the state.

“The government should not support the Sangh Parivar’s agenda. They should resolve the Munambam issue immediately,” he emphasised.

The opposition leader noted that Muslim League leader Sayed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal had visited the Latin Church leadership in Ernakulam and assured them that no action would be taken to evict the dwellers of the disputed land.