THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister VD Satheesan blamed the previous LDF government for the present issues related to the reconstitution of the state Waqf Board.
Satheesan said the Waqf Board, constituted during the previous LDF government’s tenure, had expressed willingness before the Supreme Court to include non-Muslim members in the Board.
“The Waqf Board told the Supreme Court that the body would be reconstituted by including non-Muslim members. However, it was only after the new amendment (to the Waqf Act) came into force that the LDF government decided to reconstitute the Waqf Board, paving way for the current problems," the CM told reporters at a post-cabinet briefing on Wednesday.
“Had the Waqf Board been constituted earlier, the new provision (on inclusion of non Muslims) would not have become applicable,” he said. Satheesan alleged that the previous government delayed the Board’s formation with the aim of excluding Opposition members from it.
The Chief Minister also launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of spreading misinformation regarding the state government's legal standing on the Waqf Board issue.
"The Leader of Opposition claimed that the government informed the High Court that it supports appointing non-Muslim members to the Waqf Board. In reality, the government had urged the court to dismiss the case relating to Waqf Board reconstitution. However, the Waqf Board that was established when Pinarayi Vijayan was the Chief Minister, directly went to the Supreme Court," Satheesan said.
Attacks CPM
The Chief Minister claimed the findings in the CPM Central Committee’s report - that the party abandoned its secular stance - validates the UDF’s long-standing criticism to this effect while in opposition.
“It takes years for the CPM to realise its mistakes,” Satheesan said. He also criticised reading Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's message at the Global Ayyappa Sangamam organised by the LDF government.
“What relevance does UP Chief Minister's letter have at the Global Ayyappa Sangamam in Sabarimala? Whom was it intended to please? Pinarayi Vijayan must answer,” Satheesan said.
Satheesan said the CPM central committee report also confirmed that cooperative bank scams, tax hikes, and pension arrears generated widespread anti-incumbency against the previous LDF government. “Their (CPM state leadership’s) stance that there was no anti-incumbency sentiment has been completely rejected by the Central Committee," he said.
Denies making sexist remark
The Chief Minister refuted allegations that he made sexist remarks while mentioning about mothers and their culinary traditions during a recent speech. Satheesan said he had also stated clearly that mothers should pass it on to their children,along with their daughters in law.
“Mothers are not passing on the (culinary tradition) to their children. They should be able to pass them on to their children or at least to the person who comes into the house as her son's wife," the CM quoted his own speech
Satheesan said it was wrong to interpret that the word “children” denoted only girls. Satheesan told the media not to examine whatever he says with a microscopic lens. He also advised reporters not to stoop to low levels and warned that the media’s credibility will be lost if it goes behind such issues.