Thiruvananthapuram | Former Kerala BJP president K Surendran has targeted the ruling UDF government over the renewed Munambam land dispute, saying Chief Minister V D Satheesan must now fulfil the promise he had made to the protestors while in the opposition.

In a Facebook post, Surendran said reports that the Kerala State Waqf Board had notified the Munambam land as Waqf property had raised serious concerns among residents of the coastal village in Ernakulam district.

"I saw reports that the Waqf Board has notified that the Munambam land is Waqf property. Satheesan had assured protestors and respected Church heads that the issue would be solved within ten minutes if the UDF came to power," Surendran said.

He added that the protest committee and Church leaders should now press the chief minister to honour that assurance.

"Only if Satheesan fails to keep his word should there be further discussion," he said.

The remarks came after Kerala State Waqf Board chairman K S Hamza reiterated that the disputed lands, such as Munambam, were Waqf property and said they had been registered on the Union government's UMEED portal along with other Waqf assets in the state.

The dispute concerns nearly 600 families, mostly Christians, living in Munambam, who fear losing rights over their land.

The issue had triggered protests and turned politically sensitive ahead of the change in government.

The BJP has backed the residents and claimed that the amended Waqf Act would help resolve their concerns.