In a setback to the Indian Union Muslim League, which is preparing for a massive protest against Keralas ruling LDF over its move to leave Waqf Board appointments to the state Public Service Commission (PSC), the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema, an influential body of Sunni Muslim scholars, on Wednesday announced that it will not take part in tomorrows protest as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured an amicable settlement of the issue.
The Samastha had earlier distanced itself from the Muslim Leagues move to use Friday gatherings in mosques for launching campaigns against the LDF government over the Waqf appointments. This made the League abandon its mosque-based campaign but announced protest demonstrations in district headquarters on Thursday.
Expressing confidence in assurance given by Chief Minister Vijayan that a detailed discussion will be held before taking a final decision on the matter, top Samastha leader Jiffri Muthukoya Thangal today said the serious matter on the appointments stands resolved with the CMs assurance.
“We have never planned any protest earlier also and we dont have any such plan in our agenda. The protest planned by the Muslim League is their political demonstration and it is for their cadres to participate,” Thangal told reporters here.
Promising that detailed discussions will be held regarding leaving the appointments of Waqf Board to PSC, Vijayan on Tuesday had informed the Samastha leaders that status quo will continue until a decision is made on the matter.
During his meeting with the Samastha leaders at Thiruvananthapuram, the Chief Minister had dismissed as “baseless” the propaganda that non-Muslims will also get jobs in Waqf Board by authorising the PSC to make appointments to the Muslim religious board in the state. The decision was taken on the recommendation by the Waqf Board and this was not the governments suggestion, the Chief Minister had informed the Samastha leaders.
The move by the LDF government to leave the appointments in the Waqf Board had kicked off a controversy with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a major partner of the Congress-led UDF, raking it up as a big political issue and slamming the CPI(M)-led government, alleging that it was adopting a hostile approach towards the Muslim community in the state.
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