The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will take forward a concerted agitation against the government decision to make Waqf Board appointments through Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC).
A leadership meeting of the party held here on Friday decided to spearhead the agitation until the government withdraws its controversial move. “We will be in the forefront of the agitation until the government withdraws its decision to leave Waqf Board appointments to the PSC,” said IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty and officiating State president Sayed Sadikali Shihab Thangal.
Briefing the media, they said that a Waqf protection conference would be convened in Kozhikode on December 9. They said the party had raised the issue at several forums, including the Assembly. “Yet the government looks adamant in its stand. The government should review its decision,” said Mr. Sadikali.
The IUML leaders alleged that the government wanted to destroy the sanctity of Waqf properties by meddling with the authority of the board. They said no other State in the country was following such a system, and it would do a great harm to Waqf if the States ruled by the BJP adopt the Kerala model.
However, they said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was trying to communalise the issue. “It is not good for a State to impose decisions through communal and sectarian designs. The IUML is approaching issues that affect the people in general through an extremely secular attitude,” they said.
They said the decision to launch a campaign against the government move through mosques in the State was taken by religious organisations. When the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama decided not to use mosques for that, the IUML withdrew from it.