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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Three more arrested in connection with murder of Suhas Shetty in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka), May 14 (PTI): The Mangaluru City Crime Branch has arrested three men in connection with the murder of Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty, officials said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Azaruddin alias Azar alias Ajju (29), Abdul Khader alias Noufal (24) and Vamanjoor Noushad alias Chotte Noushad (39), were arrested during the last two days, they said.
With the fresh arrests, a total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the murder so far, police said.
According to a police statement, Azaruddin had previously been booked in three theft cases registered at Panambur, Suratkal, and Mulki police stations. He allegedly provided information about Shetty's movements to the other accused, aiding in the murder.
Khader is said to have assisted the accused during their escape in a car after the murder was committed.
Noushad is accused of having conspired with the others and directly participated in the crime. He has six previous criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, and robbery conspiracy, registered at various police stations in Dakshina Kannada, police said.
Azaruddin has been remanded in judicial custody, while Khader and Noushad have been taken into police custody for seven days for further investigation.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to trace other accused involved in the case.
Shetty, a known rowdy sheeter and Hindutva activist, was murdered by a group on May 1 within the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru City.
