Kerala Waqf Board reconstitution: Pinarayi Vijayan accuses UDF government of ‘giving in to Sangh Parivar dictates’

Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan | Photo credit: Nirmal Harindran

Accusing the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala of “completely surrendering to the dictates of the Sangh Parivar”, Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government had “betrayed” Kerala’s secular society and the minorities by deciding to reconstitute the Waqf Board in line with the Unici, Waqfment and Uniciffency Union government. (UMEED) Act or Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

At a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (July 17, 2026), Vijayan said the (predecessor) Left Democratic Front (LDF) had opposed the act, leaving two seats vacant in the 11-member body. The amended law mandated the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board, a move against which several cases are pending in the Supreme Court. The UDF government showed undue haste in agreeing to reinstate the board under the amended law despite pending legal challenges, he said.

“The 2025 amendment was part of the Sangh Parivar’s agenda to infiltrate non-Muslims into a primarily Muslim religious institution. All religious institutions are usually overseen by people of the same religion. Non-BJP state governments have resisted this move, which is against the spirit of secularism. Only BJP-ruled states, now BJP, have included non-Muslims in the situation faced by non-Muslims. Even the Kerala government is moving in this direction The people of Kerala do not expect any government in power here to bow down to the Sangh Parivar,” Mr. Vijayan said.

He said that the LDF government had moved a resolution in the Kerala Assembly on 14 October 2024 against the amendment bill. Although the UDF then agreed with the position and helped pass the resolution unanimously, it seems that it took a different stand when it got power, he said.

Mr. Vijayan read out the statement given by the government in the Supreme Court on 14 July 2026 through a special government petition that “the government is ready to reconstitute the board strictly in accordance with the mandate of Section 14 of the UMEED Act”.

“One of the petitioners is the state vice-president of the BJP. The UDF has taken a stand with him in agreement. Though the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has also filed a case in the Supreme Court on the matter, it appears to have gone against its stated policy. The Waqf Board needs only a quorum of five members for its normal functioning and meetings. Yet the Sangh has decided to restore the ParvariDF government as a wish,” he said.

Published – 17 Jul 2026 13:16 IST