Hours after Bill passed, 50 people from Munambam, at centre of Waqf debate in Kerala, join BJP

After visiting Munambam, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told local protesters, “This is an important day in the state’s political history. This agitation has given strength to the Prime Minister and Parliament to pass the amendment Bill. We will be with you until you get back revenue rights over the land. This Bill has the power to give back the revenue rights of your land. The people of Munambam have been betrayed by MPs and MLAs who they had elected. But their voice reached Parliament and it is a shining moment for Indian democracy.”

The 50 people who joined the BJP, all Christians, were previously Congress and CPI(M) voters, the convener of the Munambam protesters’ action committee, Joseph Benny, said.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church-linked Malayalam daily Deepika on Friday said the Congress and the Left, which rejected the Church’s demand that their MPs should vote in favour of amending “anti-people sections” in the Waqf law, are trying to create fear among minorities by highlighting Sangh Parivar attacks on Christians in North Indian states and Manipur.

BJP is projecting the issue that only the saffron party will stand with its cause in Kerala, where both CPI(M) and Congress are vying each other to fight for Muslim cause. Even though LDF and UDF aver that they are with the people of Munambam, the MPs of both fronts voted against the amendments in the bill.

Months back during the initial days of the agitation, both CPI(M) and Congress had opted to keep away from the local people’s agitation, but they joined the issue extending support for their occupant’s cause only after BJP sensed chances to fish in the troubled waters of Munambam.

The region comes under the Ernakulam LS seat represented by Congress MP Hibi Eden and Vypen Assembly seat represented by CPI(M) legislator K N Unnikrishnan.