THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a controversy over the move to conduct recruitment to Waqf Board through the state Public Service Commission (PSC), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured that detailed discussions will be held on the matter and status quo will be maintained till a final decision is taken. The assurance was given to leaders of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a religious organisation of Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics, at a meeting here on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.
The Chief Minister further clarified that it was the Waqf Board itself that took the decision on conducting recruitments through PSC and the decision was conveyed to the government. He added that the government has not adopted any adamant stance on the recruitments being carried out by PSC.
Samastha leaders informed the Chief Minister about the campaign by certain quarters that non-Muslims will also get appointment in Waqf Board once recruitment is taken over by PSC. Pinarayi told the religious leaders that such a campaign was false, adding that there was no basis for such concern.
Earlier, various Muslim groups, under the aegis of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), had mooted a proposal to use Friday gatherings in mosques for a campaign against the Waqf Board appointments. However, Samastha leaders did not support the proposal saying they did not want to create a law and order situation in mosques.
The Chief Minister had also assured Samastha leaders that the government was ready to discuss the issue with them while the IUML fiercely opposed the move to carry out Waqf Board recruitments through PSC. The party had alleged that the government wanted to destroy the sanctity of Waqf properties by meddling with the authority of the board.