Kerala govt to legally fight Munambam land dispute, says CM Satheesan

Kerala CM VD Satheesan vowed to legally fight the Munambam land dispute, assuring residents won't be evicted and will get their land rights. He also defended the appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as his Secretary.

Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Monday said that the government will legally challenge the Munambam land dispute and ensure that residents are not evicted. The Chief Minister claimed that the previous government had treated the Munambam area as Waqf land and accused it of trying to divide communities. He assured that the present government will fight the case in court, protect the affected families, and ensure they receive their land rights.

Addressing a press conference, CM Satheesan said, "The last government's stand is clear - they are saying that Munambam is Waqf land. They were acting to implement the Sangh Parivar's agenda of creating a split between the two religions. We will legally fight this. The victims will not be evicted, and they will get their land. We will fight for this till the end."

The Munambam Waqf issue involves over 600 families, mostly Christian, facing eviction from 404 acres in Kerala after the Waqf Board claimed ownership. The dispute highlighted conflicts over the "Waqf by User" provision, amendments to the 2013 Waqf Act allowing suo-motu claims, and decades-long delays in resolution, now under Supreme Court scrutiny.

CM defends Secretary's appointment

Further, CM Satheesan has said that the appointment of Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as his Secretary does not violate any rules. He said Kelkar has returned to the state cadre after completing election duties as Chief Electoral Officer and described him as an efficient officer, rejecting allegations of procedural irregularities.

"What is the allegation? He was the Chief Electoral Officer here, and now that the election is completed, he has to return to the State cadre. He is a very good and efficient officer. There is no violation of the rules of procedure here," CM Satheesan said.

BJP accuses UDF government of deception

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Surendran has accused the UDF government in Kerala of misleading people over the Munambam land issue. "VD Satheesan-led UDF govt has cheated people. When he was LoP, he claimed he could settle this issue in 10 minutes. But now, Munambam land is uploaded to the Waqf portal. He is under pressure from the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami," Surendran told reporters.

He also criticised the appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer Rathan Kelkar as Secretary to VD Satheesan, calling it "hypocrisy". "When the BJP did the same in Bengal, Rahul Gandhi criticised. 10 days later, the same happens in Keralam. Hypocrisy at its peak," Surendran further said.

On petrol-diesel price hike, he said, "Kerala is the highest duty-paying state...the state govt has to cut a minimum of Rs 10 in petroleum products." (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)