Kochi | Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday alleged that "a powerful land mafia" is attempting to seize land from farmers and the poor under the guise of Waqf claims.

Speaking to reporters after visiting Munambam in Ernakulam district, where around 600 families are protesting against Waqf land claims, Karandlaje accused the mafia of orchestrating a “land jihad.” "In 1954, when the Waqf Act was enacted, the Waqf Board owned just 10,000 acres of land across the country. Today, it is the third-largest landowner in India, after Defence and Railways, controlling 38 lakh acres. Where did all this land come from?" The BJP leader asked.

Karandlaje, who holds the portfolios of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment, assured protesters that she would present their grievances to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

“The residents of Munambam owned the land until 2019, and it should be returned to them with retrospective effect." Karandlaje further alleged that similar land acquisitions were happening across the country.

“Previously, land records showed farmers and others as owners, but now these lands are being claimed by the Waqf Board. In Karnataka alone, around 29,000 acres have been taken over by Muslim leaders,” she alleged.

Residents of Cherai and Munambam have accused the Waqf Board of unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured the protesters that their concerns would be addressed, the hunger strike led by the Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samiti entered its 33rd day on Thursday.

Karandlaje asserted that the issue would be resolved once the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is enacted.