Kochi: The Congress is attempting to regain the political ground it has almost lost in Munambam, the coastal village in Ernakulam which gained national attention with the land dispute between the local residents and the Waqf Board. The Congress has reiterated its stand that the Munambam land dispute would be resolved “within 10 minutes” when the United Democratic Front (UDF) comes to power. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan repeated the claim at a meeting held in Munambam on Thursday targetting both the CPM and the BJP for escalating the land dispute.

“The Congress had promised that we would be with the common people of Munambam. We are still here and only we are here,” Satheesan said while inaugurating the solidarity meet organised by the District Congress Committee (DCC).

Taking a dig at BJP, Satheesan asked what happened to the BJP’s promise that the land dispute would be resolved with the enactment of the Waqf Amendment Act.

He said he was thankful to Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju for being honest that the new law was of no use to Munambam residents. He was referring to the Union minister’s visit to Munambam a month ago to attend a meeting organised by the BJP to thank the Modi government for enacting the Waqf (Amendment) Act. During the visit, the minister had made it clear that the Munambam land dispute could be resolved only through legal recourse. However, he claimed that the provisions in the new law would help the people of Munambam get justice.

Satheesan said that the Congress had, right from the beginning, taken the stand that the disputed land does not belong to the Waqf Board and the amendment in the Waqf Act would not help the affected parties. “The Union minister just confirmed it,” the Congress leader said.

Satheesan blamed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government for worsening the Munambam issue. “The affected residents were about to get a favourable verdict from the Waqf Tribunal. Then the government got a stay order from the High Court. With that the government ensured that the Munambam residents do not get a favourable verdict,” Satheesan said, referring to the High Court order restraining the Waqf Tribunal from passing final orders in the dispute till May 26. Satheesan said that the State Waqf Board moved the High Court with the knowledge of the state government and the Pinarayi regime was backstabbing the people of Munambam.

He alleged that the BJP tried to escalate the land dispute to a communal clash and the CPM helped the move.

DCC president Muhammed Shiyas chaired the meet in which a host of Congress leaders spoke.