April 21, 2025
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday said that the Munambam issue would be resolved with the implementation of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025.
Addressing the media at the Lourdes Forane Church here on Sunday after visiting Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the UDF and the CPI-M have misinterpreted the Act, claiming it would not address the concerns of Munambam residents.
“What have the ruling and opposition parties done to resolve the Munambam issue? I believe that once the Waqf Amendment Act is implemented, the Munambam issue will also be resolved,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.
“I think, unfortunately, some parties have spread misinformation and propaganda about the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. They have even approached the Supreme Court in an attempt to block it. Everyone in the country, including the people of Munambam, knows who has genuinely worked to resolve their issues—who brought in this legislation—and who, for the past 35 years, has done nothing to help them,” the BJP Kerala chief said.
Around 600 families of Munambam village in Ernakulam district have been protesting against the Waqf Board’s claims over their land. The Munambam issue came to light in 2019 after the Waqf Board staked claim to the residents’ land, citing it as Waqf land donated to Farook College in Kozhikode.
In a bid to reach out to the Christian community during Easter, senior BJP leaders visited prominent religious leaders across Kerala. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met Cardinal Mar George Alencherry at the Lourdes Forane Church at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram, while Union Minister Suresh Gopi attended special Easter prayers at churches in Thrissur. Suresh Gopi also visited the Archbishop of Thrissur, Andrews Thazhath, at the Bishop’s House.