Kerala Catholic Bishops Council urges MPs to support Waqf Bill

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 30 : The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has urged MPs to vote in favour of amending the "unconstitutional" and "unjust" provisions of the Waqf Act.
The statement issued by Fr. Thomas Tharayil of the KCBC secretariat said that provisions in the Waqf law, which legitimise the "illegal claims" in such a way that people in Munambam are unable to exercise their revenue claims on the land, need to be amended.
"The Farooq College management, which sold the land to the residents of Munambam, has asserted that the land in question was received as a gift, the MPs should cooperate to amend the waqf bill Which has provisions to raise claims against this. KCBC will send letter to each MPs requesting to vote in favour of amending waqf bill," KCBC said in a statement.
Around 610 families of Munambam coastal village in the Ernakulam district have been protesting against the claim by the Waqf Board on their land.
Meanwhile, Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday welcomed the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council's stance.
"It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. People in #Munambam have suffered and continue to seek a solution to protect their properties and homes," Chandrasekhar said in a post on X.
He said that the Waqf Amendment Bill aims to safeguard the constitutional right to property for all.
"The Bill aims to safeguard the constitutional right to property for all, including the people of Munambam. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the BJP have always strived to ensure this. I sincerely hope all Kerala MPs will support this bill in the interest of all people and not sacrifice the interest of people for petty appeasement politics," he said.
Earlier in a press conference, Chandrasekhar pointed out that the people of Munambam have been protesting for several months over alleged attempts by the Waqf to claim their land.
"Several hundred families in Munambam, a fishing community, are facing land-grabbing attempts, and they have been protesting and striking for months. The Waqf Amendment Bill squarely addresses their pain and concern," he said.
Chandrasekhar criticized opposition leaders, including Congress's Priyanka Gandhi, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MPs, for not speaking up on the issue. He urged them to support the amendment in the interest of the affected families.
"From Priyanka Gandhi, who was recently parachuted into Kerala, to Hibi Eden and the Muslim League MPs representing the state, I join the Catholic Bishops in urging them to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. They must protect the constitutional rights of the people of Munambam, whose land is being taken away," he said.
He further emphasized that MPs have a responsibility to safeguard the interests of their constituents and ensure that no law contradicts constitutional provisions. "It is the duty of every MP to protect the rights of the people they serve. If a law is ultra vires to the Constitution, it must be amended to ensure consistency with constitutional values," he added.
Addressing concerns raised by some political parties, Chandrasekhar rejected claims that the amendment targets any specific community. "This amendment does not infringe on anyone's rights. It aligns the powers and authority of the Waqf with the constitutionally provided rights of every Indian citizen," he asserted.