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Kerala Opposition Leader Attacks UDF Government Over Waqf Board Appointments

Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Kerala government of capitulating to Hindu nationalist groups on the contentious issue of Waqf board appointments. The Opposition leader questioned the rationale behind allowing non-Muslims to serve in positions overseeing Muslim religious institutions.

LSN India · 23 August 2026

Kerala Opposition Leader Attacks UDF Government Over Waqf Board Appointments

Kerala's Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has launched a sharp attack on the ruling UDF government, alleging it has surrendered to the BJP and RSS on the sensitive Waqf issue. Vijayan's criticism centres on the government's apparent willingness to permit non-Muslim appointments to positions within Waqf boards, institutions traditionally managed by Muslim communities.

The former Chief Minister challenged the constitutional and administrative logic behind such appointments, questioning why members of other faiths should hold decision-making roles in religious bodies established to serve Muslim interests. Vijayan's remarks reflect growing concerns within Left circles about what they perceive as an erosion of minority religious institutions' autonomy.

The Waqf board controversy has emerged as a flashpoint in Kerala's political landscape, with the Opposition arguing that the government's stance compromises the secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The issue underscores the broader ideological battle between secular and Hindu nationalist political forces across Indian states, with Kerala's religious pluralism increasingly becoming contested terrain in state politics.