Kochi | The Munnambam Land Protection Council on Monday expressed relief that the Supreme Court's partial stay on the Waqf Amendment Act will not affect their case.

Council members told reporters that since the apex court has not stayed Section 2(a) of the Act, their land dispute remains outside the purview of Waqf provisions.

Section 2(a) clarifies that the Waqf amended Act does not apply to trusts established by a Muslim for purposes similar to a Waqf.

The protesters maintain that their land, purchased from Farook College, which is a trust/society, is hence exempt from the Waqf Act.

“We are relieved that Section 2(a) has not been stayed. Now the government can proceed further to resolve our issues,” Joseph Benny, a member of the council, said.

The council decided to strengthen the protest so that government would resolve the matter in a speedy manner.

“Now that the legal uncertainty has been resolved, the state government should speed up its procedures. Additionally, the commission appointed by the government, under the leadership of Justice CN Ramchandran Nair, has also submitted its report,” the council members said.

The council convened a meeting on Monday to assess the implications of the Supreme Court order and plan the future course of action.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed certain sections of the Waqf Amendment Act.

Over 600 families in the coastal village of Ernakulam district have been affected by the Waqf Act. Around 404 acres of land in the area is being disputed as Waqf land.

The residents are conducting a relay protest in Munnambam since last year, which crossed 300 days by now.

While political parties and the state government have extended their support to protestors, the issue remains unresolved and is currently under consideration by the Waqf Tribunal.