Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the amendments in the Waqf Act were made aimed at correcting past mistakes and ensuring justice in land ownership across the country. The NDA government has only taken steps to address legal inconsistencies that could otherwise lead to any land being declared as Waqf property, he said.

Speaking to media persons in Kochi, Rijiju reiterated that the Centre’s amendments to the Waqf Act are not directed against the Muslim community but that the government intends to ensure that there is no provision for anybody to forcefully and unilaterally take away someone’s land in India.

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“There is a false narrative being spread that the central government is working against Muslims. This is not true. The Waqf Amendment Act is not targeted at the Muslim community. It is to correct mistakes of the past,” he said.

Had the Waqf law not been amended, any land could have been declared as Waqf land. Recognising this, the government decided to amend the law, said Kiren Rijiju.

Referring to the Munambam issue, where around 600 families in the Munambam village of the Ernakulam district face the threat of eviction from their residence and land due to claims by the Waqf Board, Rijiju said the issue was one of the reasons that prompted the government to act. He assured that a situation like Munambatm would not be repeated anywhere in the country.

Nearly 600 fishermen who had begun paying land taxes were suddenly informed that 404 acres of land in Munambam had been declared Waqf property by the Kerala Waqf Board. This is how the tragedy unfolded and the people realised the injustice done to them, the Minister said.

Rijiju assured the people of Munambam, who have been protesting for months against the Waqf Board’s claims on their land and homes, that such incidents would not be repeated elsewhere in the country. He stated that justice would be ensured for the affected residents.

“India has the largest number of Waqf properties in the world. The Munambam case came to our attention some time ago, and I was deeply disturbed when I learnt about it,” he said.

Rijiju also underlined the importance of land security for all citizens. “Land is the most precious thing for us. If you lose your land, you lose everything. That is why we believe there should be no provision for anyone to unilaterally or forcefully take over another person’s land. We must make laws to protect every inch of land for its rightful owner,” he stated.

Kiren Rijiju also addressed the residents of Munambam on Tuesday evening at a meeting titled “Thank You Modi”, organised in the village to express gratitude to the Modi government for amending the “oppressive provisions” in the Waqf Act.

Union Minister George Kurian and BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrsekhar also participated in the function.

Earlier, Rijiju met Archbishop of Varappuzha Joseph Kalathiparambil at the archdiocese headquarters.