Jaleel targets Satheesan, IUML over move to reconstitute Waqf Board

Former Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel has publicly targeted Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) over their involvement in efforts to reconstitute the State Waqf Board. In a social media post shared by the CPI(M) publication Desabhimani, Jaleel accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and its ally, the IUML, of supporting the BJP's agenda regarding the Waqf issue. He referred to Satheesan as “Modi in khadi” and IUML’s Minister for General Education and Minority Affairs, N. Shamsudheen, as “Amit Shah in a mundu.” Jaleel claimed that the IUML had been pushing for the dissolution of the current State Waqf Board since the UDF came to power in May. He pointed out that during the tenure of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which governed from 2006 and 2016, the IUML-backed chairmen of the Waqf Board were allowed to complete their terms without removal. According to Jaleel, the League’s push to reconstitute the board was meant to prevent action against individuals accused of encroaching on Waqf properties. He argued that the current Waqf Board, under the leadership of K.S. Hamsa, has successfully reclaimed several encroached properties and is actively pursuing cases related to financial irregularities and unauthorized sales of Waqf land. Jaleel also highlighted that influential individuals had occupied Waqf properties for years by paying minimal rents, and the board was taking measures to recover them. Referring to ongoing petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the Supreme Court, Jaleel noted that the legal validity of appointing two non-Muslim members to Waqf Boards would be addressed when the case comes up on August 25. He criticized the reported attempt to reconstitute the State Waqf Board prior to the court’s decision, suggesting it was intended to benefit the BJP. Additionally, Jaleel accused Satheesan and the Muslim League of misleading the public by asserting that legal challenges to the amended Waqf law had failed and that the inclusion of non-Muslim members on the board was mandatory. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has ordered a police investigation into remarks attributed to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader TG Mohandas. The remarks, which were reportedly made during a video posted on his YouTube channel, suggested that he would have imposed a curfew in the Jantar Mantar area in Delhi if tasked with managing the recent protests against the alleged irregularities in public exams. The video claims Mohandas said that the crowd would be asked to disperse, followed by firing, resulting in casualties. He also allegedly stated that the situation would be under control within four hours, with victims transported to hospitals. Another video attributed to Mohandas reportedly encouraged physical assaults on student protesters, while a third suggested that police withdrawal from the area would lead to increased incidents of rape and murder, with no complaints due to perceived acceptance of such acts. Following complaints from political leaders, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala initiated the probe. The Congress, leading the state’s coalition government, condemned the remarks as evidence of the RSS’s “disgusting, violent and misogynistic mindset,” accusing the organization of providing shelter to such individuals. The Left leader and Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim indicated that Mohandas’s statements would be addressed both politically and legally. The Communist Party of India (CPI) also expressed criticism towards Chief Minister Satheesan’s approach to the Waqf issue. The CPI State secretariat viewed the reconstitution of the board, which includes two non-Muslim members, as a point of contention between the Kerala Waqf Board and the state government. They noted that the board had criticized the government for its support of petitions filed in the Kerala High Court seeking changes to the board’s structure. The CPI(M) similarly criticized the government’s stance, arguing that Satheesan’s position mirrored that of the BJP despite his claim to represent a Nehruvian ideology. The party suggested that Satheesan might be aligning with the IUML to implement policies aligned with the BJP, potentially undermining the principles of Gandhi and Nehru.