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INL accuses Kerala government of conspiring to reconstitute Waqf Board amid land dispute

Published on: 19 Jul 2026, 04:07 PM

The Indian National League (INL) has accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala of attempting to reconstitute the Kerala State Waqf Board as part of a larger plan linked to the Munambam land dispute. In a statement on Sunday, INL State general secretary Kasim Irikkur alleged that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, along with Waqf Minister N. Samsudheen and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), conspired to reconstitute the board after the existing board refused to compromise on the Munambam issue.

The INL claimed that a petition filed by BJP leader Shone George in the Kerala High Court was used as a pretext for the reconstitution. It further alleged that the Additional Solicitor General, representing the Union government, and the State’s Advocate General relied on provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025—legislation opposed by the Congress and the IUML—to support arguments against the present board.

The party also alleged that an affidavit was filed before the High Court in the name of Revenue Under Secretary T.P. Pushpavalli, through Government Special Pleader P.M. Saneer, without the knowledge of Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and at the instance of Mr. Samsudheen. According to the INL, the affidavit indicated that the State Waqf Board would be reconstituted under the provisions of the 2025 Act.

Additionally, the INL accused the IUML of taking contradictory positions by contending that the present board was invalid for not including two non-Muslim members, while simultaneously challenging the legal provision in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, mandating such appointments before the Supreme Court.

The INL alleged that the move was intended to gain control over the Waqf Board and its properties, and claimed it was part of a broader agenda of the BJP-led Union government and RSS to weaken minority rights. The claims have not been independently verified.

Source: The Hindu

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