Waqf Board row: State blatantly surrenders to Sangh Parivar’s agenda, says Pinarayi Vijayan

The State government’s move to appoint non-Muslim members to the Kerala Waqf Board amounts to subscribing to the divisive agenda of the Sangh Parivar in Kerala, Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Describing the State move as ‘shocking and surprising’, Mr. Vijayan criticised Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan’s attempt to portray those opposing the government’s decision as communalists and proponents of minority appeasement.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Mr. Vijayan alleged that Mr. Satheeshan was misleading the people of the State regarding the reconstitution of the Waqf Board. He said the previous Left government had reconstituted the Board in February 2026 after the term of the previous Board expired. However, it deliberately did not fill the two positions reserved for non-Muslim members, despite the requirement under the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Act, 2025, as mandated by the Centre.