India News | Keralam LoP Pinarayi Vijayan Slams State Government; Alleges Government Colluded to Stall State Waqf Board Operations
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Pinarayi Vijayan said, "A serious issue has now arisen regarding the State Waqf Board. The Waqf Board was reconstituted in February 2026. The State Government has adopted a stance that effectively brings all its activities to a complete standstill. In the related case that came up before the High Court, the government engaged in collusion by siding with the petitioners. An interim order has been issued as a result."
Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], July 17 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Keralam, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Friday slammed the UDF government, alleging that its stance on appointing non-Muslim members to the Waqf Board is a deceptive move that betrays the minority community.
Speaking on the ongoing legal challenges regarding the appointments, he claimed the administration's position demonstrates a complete lack of commitment to the interests of the people.
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He said, "The state government took the stand that two non-Muslims must be appointed to the Waqf Board. The government's stand is a deceptive one. The UDF government has adopted a stand that betrays minorities and the people. There are hundreds of petitions challenging the appointment. All of them are now in a failed situation. The Muslim League has also filed a case in the court. The minister in charge of the Board is a League minister.
"It may not be the minister's personal stand. It may be a policy change of the League. After coming to power, the UDF has taken a stand in the court that creates concerns among minorities. Everyone remembers the allegations of a political deal during the election period. It has now been proved that all those things are applicable to them. What has come out now is complete surrender and servility. What doubt is there that this is with the full support of the League? The League itself should answer on this matter," he added.
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Pinarayi Vijayan accused the state administration of siding with petitioners against the State Waqf Board to halt its functions. He further claimed that the ongoing issues are a byproduct of the central government's 2025 amendments to the Waqf Act, which he described as being aligned with a specific political agenda.
He argued that the state's legal stance in the High Court amounts to collusion with petitioners, resulting in an interim order that has stalled the board's activities.
He said, "A serious issue has now arisen regarding the State Waqf Board. The Waqf Board was reconstituted in February 2026. The State Government has adopted a stance that effectively brings all its activities to a complete standstill. In the related case that came up before the High Court, the government engaged in collusion by siding with the petitioners. An interim order has been issued as a result."
"This is a highly shocking development. It was in 2025 that the Central Government completely overhauled and comprehensively amended the pre-existing Waqf Act. That was in line with the Sangh Parivar agenda. As part of it, measures were taken to infiltrate non-Muslims into the Waqf Board," he added.
Pinarayi Vijayan further alleged that the Kerala government is deviating from its initial opposition to the central Waqf Act amendments.
"Even though the Centre passed such a law, state governments led by non-BJP political parties took a strong stand against it from the very beginning. The governments of Keralam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal strongly opposed the controversial provisions of the law. Under the new amendment, non-Muslims have been included in the Waqf Board only in BJP-ruled states," he said.
He argued that the state is shifting away from its previous united stand with other non-BJP states, potentially allowing external interference in the management of Waqf properties.
He added, "Unfortunately, the Keralam government now appears to be moving in the same direction. Generally, institutions related to different religious communities and their beliefs are managed by members of the respective communities. This has been the broadly accepted practice in our country as part of its secular framework. "
"Accordingly, such arrangements have been followed so far. Various religious communities have numerous institutions and systems, and it is generally not considered appropriate for members of other religions to interfere in matters concerning their management. The Centre's new Waqf amendment has adopted an approach that goes against this principle and is therefore unacceptable," Vijayan said. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)