Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas, made headlines with his remarks on the Waqf at a public meeting in Wayanad on Saturday. Mr. Gopi said the term symbolised a disturbing reality.
He was speaking at a gathering at Kambalakkadu in the district to bolster Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Navya Haridas’s campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
‘Manipur-like situation’
He described the situation at Munambam, where 600 families are protesting against the Waqf Board’s claim to their holdings, as similar to that in Manipur. Mr. Gopi added that the Centre would succeed in its efforts in winding up the Waqf Board.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi and NDA candidate Navya Haridas during their election campaign at Kambalakkad in Wayanad district on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
At the event, BJP State vice-president B. Gopalakrishnan stirred further controversy by commenting on the Waqf issue. He insinuated that if the figure Vavar, who is believed to preside beneath the sacred eighteenth step, were to claim Sabarimala as Waqf property, it could prompt Lord Ayyappa’s departure from the shrine. During his address in Kambalakkad, he urged the public to support the BJP to ensure that religious sites such as the Velankanni church remain undisturbed.
IUML reaction
Reacting to the comments, Indian Union Muslim League general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty accused Mr. Gopi of trying to whip up communal passions instead of initiating a peaceful settlement of the Munambam issue. Mr. Kunhalikutty stressed the party’s willingness to engage in discussions aimed at a peaceful resolution to the Munambam issue with government cooperation.
Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam criticised the Congress for what he termed “worm-infested politics” through its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While campaigning for Sathyan Mokeri, the Left Democratic Front candidate, he highlighted the ‘covert collaboration’ between the two parties, citing recent incidents such as the foodgrain distribution controversy in Wayanad and the alleged transportation of cash in Palakkad.
Mr. Viswam asserted that the Congress’ historical actions, including its complicity in the demolition of the Babri Masjid, had not been forgotten by the Muslim community. He accused both parties of orchestrating communal strife among minority groups in Munambam while spreading false narratives in the Chelakkara Assembly constituency in Thrissur district.
Published - November 09, 2024 07:42 pm IST
