Senior CPI(M) leader Rajeev calls out Satheesan remarks about Waqf Board

Senior CPI(M) leader P Rajeev on Wednesday termed as “lies” Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s claims regarding the issues of Waqf Board appointments and investments from the Tata Group, saying that the CM needs to ensure the veracity of the statements he is making.

Satheesan, at a press conference in the state capital in the morning, accused opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to turn the Muslim community against the UDF Government by making communal remarks in connection with the Waqf Board issue.

He also told reporters that the previous LDF administration had passed orders saying two non-Muslim members would be appointed to the Board after the Bar Council polls are over.

The CM further contended that the state Government had in the Kerala High Court sought dismissal of the pleas challenging the validity of the current Waqf Board.

Regarding the proposed shipbuilding venture of the Tata Group in Kerala, Satheesan claimed that representatives of the company had met him and held discussions on issues related to their proposed investments in the state.

He also contended that the state expects investments worth around Rs 10,000 crore in the first phase of various maritime sector projects being planned under its ‘Mission Samudra’ initiative.

Terming all the statements by the CM as “lies”, Rajeev, who was Law Minister in the previous LDF Government, said that everyone expected Satheesan to correct his stand on the Tata project issue, but he did not.

On the Waqf Board issue, the former minister said that everything claimed by the CM was false.

He said that Vijayan adopted the same stand as the top Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, regarding appointment of non-Muslim persons to the Waqf Board, so how can the Marxist veteran’s remarks be termed as “communal”.

He also said that in the previous LDF administration’s order constituting the Waqf Board, the term ‘non-Muslim’ is not mentioned anywhere.

Rajeev further said that the Supreme Court has not rejected the pleas challenging the amendments to the Waqf Act and its section 14 as claimed by the CM.

“The Supreme Court is only going to consider the pleas. He (CM) could have said that the section 14 has not been stayed. He cannot authoritatively claim that the matter has been rejected,” he said.