UDF Government Acting as RSS Foot Soldier on Waqf Board, Says Pinarayi Vijayan

Malappuram: Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of becoming a “foot soldier” of the RSS and questioned why the government was openly advancing the RSS argument that non-Muslims should be appointed to the Waqf Board.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar titled ‘Waqf Law and UDF Surrender’, organised by the CPI(M) Malappuram district committee.

“All religious communities have their own institutions. Are there administrative bodies in institutions belonging to any other religion that include people who do not belong to that religion? The move to introduce such a system only in the Waqf Board stems from a communal perspective,” Pinarayi Vijayan said.

He warned that if such interference was allowed in Muslim religious institutions today, the Sangh Parivar could extend it to institutions of other religions tomorrow. Religious institutions, he said, should be administered by members of the respective faith.

Keralam had strongly opposed the move, and the LDF government had joined the proceedings in the Supreme Court. The situation changed after the elections and the UDF government came to power, Pinarayi said.

He criticised the UDF government's response after an RSS functionary approached the High Court challenging the government's position. The government argued that the existing Waqf Board was not legally constituted and should be dissolved because it did not include two non-Muslim members.

“Whose argument is the government putting forward? The minister in charge of the department is a Muslim League leader. What is the government's position?” he asked.

He said the government's stand could have adverse consequences in the case pending before the Supreme Court. Instead of pointing out the dangers of having non-Muslims on the Waqf Board, there was concern that the government could end up indirectly endorsing the demand, he added.