The Central Government has issued a notice to the Kerala Waqf Board seeking an explanation for the inclusion of the disputed Munambam land in the UMEED portal, the Centre’s centralised digital registry of waqf properties.
As reported in The New Indian Express, the Union Government directed the Kerala Waqf Board to respond within five days regarding the registration of approximately 404 acres of disputed land in Munambam, located in Ernakulam district. The notice was issued following complaints received by the Centre over the entry of the land into the digital registry.
The disputed land was reportedly uploaded to the UMEED portal last month using the Kerala Waqf Board’s special powers, triggering objections from local residents and stakeholders involved in the long-running ownership dispute.
The development comes shortly after BJP leader and Nemom MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar raised the issue with the Union Government and sought intervention in the matter.
Reacting to the Centre’s action, Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the notice and credited the Union Government for acting swiftly on his request.
“Munambam will not become another Waqf land grab,” Chandrasekhar said in a statement.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for intervening in the matter and taking prompt action against what he described as an illegal move by the Kerala Waqf Board.
According to Chandrasekhar, the Kerala Waqf Board’s unilateral registration of the 404 acres of land on the UMEED portal was contrary to the law.
“The Kerala Waqf Board’s unilateral registration of 404 acres in Munambam on the UMEED portal is entirely illegal, since the law vests that authority only with the Mutawalli,” he said.
Stating that the Centre’s notice followed his intervention, Chandrasekhar asserted that no one should assume that a “weak Congress-led government in Kerala” provided a licence to violate the rule of law or disregard the rights of ordinary citizens.
He further stated that the BJP-led NDA would continue to stand with the families of Munambam and defend their property rights and livelihoods.
“The BJP/NDA will continue to stand firmly with the families of Munambam and protect their property rights and livelihoods,” he said.
Chandrasekhar also declared that the party would oppose what he termed “illegal Waqf land grabs” not only in Munambam but elsewhere in Kerala as well.
“We will not allow illegal Waqf land grabs to succeed – whether in Munambam, Taliparamba, or anywhere else in Kerala,” he added.
Munambam will not become another Waqf land grab.
Thank you, PM @narendramodi ji and Union Minister @KirenRijiju ji, for acting swiftly on my request.
The Kerala Waqf Board’s unilateral registration of 404 acres in Munambam on the UMEED portal is entirely illegal, since the law… pic.twitter.com/qGMxBFN0DU
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) June 15, 2026
Responding to the Centre’s notice, Kerala Waqf Board Chairman K. S. Hamsa said that the Board would submit its response only after a meeting scheduled for June 16.
While media organisations reportedly attempted to contact Hamsa for further clarification, he was unavailable for detailed comments on the issue.
Sources indicate that the Kerala Waqf Board has sought legal opinion regarding the Centre’s notice and is expected to furnish its explanation shortly after the Board meeting.
Meanwhile, members of the Kerala Waqf Board’s Ernakulam division declined to comment on the matter.
The dispute over the Munambam land has remained a politically sensitive issue in Kerala, with residents and various organisations challenging the Waqf Board’s claims over the property. The Centre’s latest intervention is expected to intensify scrutiny of the land registration process and the legal basis on which the disputed land was entered into the UMEED portal.
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