Waqf case: petitioner files objection in SC

As the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea challenging the Kerala High Court’s order barring the State Waqf Board from taking any major decision without its prior permission, BJP State Vice President Shone George, one of the petitioners in the HC, has filed an objection in the apex court in connection with the case.

Through the notice, Mr. George sought a direction that no interim order be passed on any petition filed by the Waqf Board or its members without hearing his suggestions.

Speaking to the media later, Mr. George accused former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of misleading the public on the Waqf issue by suppressing facts and spreading misinformation.

He termed Mr Vijayan’s claim that his government did not appoint non-Muslim members to the Waqf Board as “probably false”. According to Mr. George, the gazette notification issued during the tenure of the LDF government specifically stipulated the appointment of non-Muslim members after completion of prescribed legal procedures.

He further contended that the state government in an affidavit submitted to the court had expressed its willingness to implement the provisions of Section 14 of the Waqf Act, which prescribes the procedure for the appointment of board members. The IUML’s contention that the government merely agreed to review the legal feasibility of such appointments was therefore inconsistent with the record, he argued.

Arguing that the Waqf Board exercises jurisdiction over property disputes and claims involving members of other faiths, he said the law specifically provides for the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the board.

Accusing the IUML and the CPI(M) of communalising the issue for political reasons, Mr George said the “double standards” of the LDF and the UDF would eventually be exposed.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 19:34 IST