The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has issued a notice to the Kerala Waqf Board in connection with the Munambam land dispute. The action was triggered by the intervention of BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the matter.
Chandrasekhar had earlier submitted a detailed complaint to Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, urging intervention in the alleged unilateral registration of certain lands, including around 404 acres in Munambam, on the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal by the Kerala Waqf Board.
In his complaint, the BJP MLA had argued that under the provisions of the UMEED framework, only the mutawalli (caretaker) concerned is authorised to upload land details onto the portal. He alleged that the Waqf Board’s direct registration of properties was illegal and an overreach of its jurisdiction.
Following his representation, the Centre has now intervened and sought an explanation from the Kerala Waqf Board regarding the matter. In a post on X, the BJP leader said, “Munambam will not become another Waqf land grab. Thank you, PM Modi and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for acting swiftly on my request. The Kerala Waqf Board’s unilateral registration of 404 acres in Munambam on the UMEED portal is entirely illegal since the law vests that authority only with the Mutawalli."
“Following my intervention, the Union Ministry has now sought an explanation from the Kerala Waqf Board over its actions in the Munambam land dispute. No one should imagine that a weak Congress-led government in Keralam gives them a licence to violate the rule of law and trample upon the rights of ordinary and hardworking Malayalees," read the post.
BJP leaders described the move as evidence that the Central Government was taking the concerns raised by residents and various organisations in Munambam seriously. The Munambam land dispute is a long-standing conflict over 404 acres of coastal land in Ernakulam district, Kerala, where over 610 families (predominantly Latin Catholic Christians and fishermen) are facing the threat of eviction following the Kerala State Waqf Board claiming land ownership.
