Muslim groups urge Kerala to follow TN, West Bengal in 'rejecting' Waqf Amendment Act
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Muslim organisations in Kerala have called on the state's Left government and opposition parties to pass a joint resolution saying the controversial Waqf Amendment Act will not be implemented in the state.
They wanted the state to take a cue from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that she would not implement the act in her state, Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution demanding the Centre to roll back the Waqf amendment bill even before it was passed by the parliament. DMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf Amendment Act.
"Stalin has already made an announcement, and their assembly has passed a resolution against the implementation of the Wakf Amendment Act. We demand that the Kerala government should also pass such a resolution," Thodiyur Muhammed Kunji Moulavi, General Secretary of the South Kerala Jamiatul Ulama, told PTI on Thursday.
Several other Muslim organisations, which jointly organised a march to the Raj Bhavan in Kerala on Thursday in protest against the recently passed legislation, have raised the same demand.
The Muslim leaders described the amendment as an attempt to "eradicate Muslims from the country" and to seize all their properties, including Waqf assets, which Muslim families have been donating for the benefit of the poor in the country for generations.
"Until the death of the last Muslim in this country, we will not allow this anti-democratic law to be implemented. Our Raj Bhavan march is just the beginning, and we may even organise a massive protest rally to Parliament," said Kadakkal Abdul Azeez Moulavi, President of the Kerala Muslim Jamaath Federation.
He said that, along with the Muslims in this country, all those who believe in secularism and democracy would join hands to fight against the newly amended Waqf Act.
The Muslim associations have threatened to organise larger protests in the coming days and expressed hope that the Supreme Court will, by then, take a democratic decision against the amendments.
CPI national executive member and former MP, Panniyan Raveendran, who also participated in the programme, said that all those who oppose the religious polarisation of the BJP/RSS would join hands with their Muslim brethren to fight against such discrimination.
"We know how we live and the love we have for each other. The BJP or RSS do not even deserve to utter the name of Hindu. This is an organised attempt to loot properties for their corporate friends. After targeting Muslims, they are now targeting Christians," Raveendran claimed.
The Muslim organisations stated that they would continue their peaceful protests against the amendments and would also seek legal remedies against the implementation of an anti-democratic law.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which was passed by Parliament last week, has come into force from April 8, 2025.
While the BJP-led NDA had rallied in support of the bill, the Opposition INDIA bloc united in opposing it.
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Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance announcement for civic polls likely next week
Mumbai (PTI): The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are likely to announce next week their alliance for the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, with seat-sharing for all the civic bodies, except Mumbai, almost complete, leaders of both the parties said.
Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the all-important Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be held on January 15, and the counting of votes will take place the next day.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS will forge an alliance for the polls in municipal corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune and Nashik, among others.
The Sena (UBT) is headed by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, while his once-estranged cousin Raj is the president of the MNS.
"Talks for all civic bodies, except Mumbai, are complete. The sticking point is about the seats that we are demanding in Marathi-dominated areas. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is not still not agreeing to it which has delayed the seat-sharing. But the talks have to be over soon since the date of filing nominations starts next week (December 23 to December 30)," an MNS leader said.
Talking to reporters, MNS leader and former MLA Nitin Sardesai said, "It is appropriate to say that the talks are in final stages but it is difficult to say when it will be officially announced. I can only say that all sides are putting efforts to complete the talks and they are working towards it."
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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab met Raj Thackeray to discuss seat-sharing.
A Sena (UBT) leader said talks are in final stages and there is no hurdle in the seat-sharing agreement.
"The two brothers are expected to officially announce the alliance between the two parties on Monday in a public event or through a press conference that will set the tone for the civic body polls," he said.
Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena blaming Uddhav for his exit in 2005 and floated the MNS in 2006. They had been political rivals since then.
However, after the drubbing of their parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls in 2024 - the Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, while MNS drew a blank - both leaders decided to put behind their political acrimony and find a common ground for survival.
Over the past few months, the two cousins shared the stage or were spotted at public forums together multiple times for various reasons.
The cousins publicly ended their two-decade-long estrangement in July, where they addressed a joint rally. At the event, Uddhav said they have come together to stay together.
