BJP alleges Kerala CM betrayed Munambam residents over Waqf land row

Kerala BJP leader K. Surendran on Monday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, accusing him of betraying the residents of Munambam over the Waqf land dispute.

Speaking to the media here, Surendran said that while serving as Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan had explicitly promised protesters and Church leaders that the Munambam land issue would be resolved “within ten minutes” if the UDF came to power. Surendran noted that even after 10 days in office, the Chief Minister had failed to fulfil that assurance.

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Surendran further alleged that Satheesan was incapable of taking a decisive stand because he feared upsetting key political allies, particularly the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Questioning the Chief Minister’s sincerity, Surendran said that if Satheesan had “even an ounce of integrity left,” he should immediately dissolve the Kerala State Waqf Board. He also questioned what documents had been used to register the Munambam land on the Central Government’s UMEED portal and asked why no immediate investigation had been ordered into the upload.

Surendran urged the Munambam protest committee and Church leaders to intensify pressure on the Chief Minister to honour his pre-election promise. He maintained that any further dialogue or negotiations should take place only if Satheesan officially admits that he cannot keep his “10-minute promise.” He again demanded the immediate dissolution of the current Kerala State Waqf Board.

The Kerala State Waqf Board had formally registered the disputed 404 acres of land in Munambam on the Central Government’s UMEED portal a few days ago. The digital registration has reignited a sharp socio-political confrontation in Kerala, placing the newly formed Congress-led UDF government, the Catholic Church, and local residents at odds with the Board.