The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), D Raja, has rejected a request from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) asking all Kerala MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. Raja stated, “Our parties will oppose it.”
#WATCH | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | On request by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) to all MPs of Kerala to support Waqf Amendment Bill, CPI leader D Raja says, "You must ask them…Today, this matter is likely to be taken up in the Parliament. Our parties will oppose it." pic.twitter.com/y2MCZLpcYo
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025
This response follows a statement from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council on 29 March 2025, in which they expressed support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024. The KCBC urged Kerala’s Members of Parliament to vote in favor of the Bill when it is discussed, criticizing certain provisions of the Waqf Act as “unconstitutional and unjust.”
A press release from the KCBC highlighted the Munambam land dispute, where the Kerala State Waqf Board claimed ownership of about 404 acres in the Munambam area of Ernakulam district. The land is disputed by 600 families, mostly Latin Catholics and backward Hindu communities, who assert that they legally purchased the land decades ago from Farook College, which previously managed it.
The KCBC, through its President Cardinal Clemis Katholika Bava, Vice-President Bishop Polly Kannookkatan, and Secretary-General Bishop Alex Vadakkumthala, called on Kerala MPs to support amendments to the “objectionable” sections of the Waqf Act.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has faced strong opposition from Muslims nationwide. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) recently urged Muslims to participate in protests against the bill and wear black armbands. The AIMPLB condemned the bill as a “sinister conspiracy” aimed at depriving Muslims of their religious institutions, including mosques, madrasas, graveyards, and other charitable entities. Protests were held across various states following the AIMPLB’s call, particularly during the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.
Several opposition parties have also vocally opposed the bill, criticizing it as an infringement on Muslim rights and constitutional principles. Among the parties opposing the legislation are the Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
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