Why Munambam land row is a litmus test for BJP
Many of these families are rooting for the BJP, but there is already some confusion among the protesters over Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju's stance on the land dispute. Rijiju reportedly remarked that a deadline could not be set to resolve the Munambam matter as it was sub judice.Defending Rijiju, Chandrasekhar told the media recently: 'His (Rijiju's) remarks were well-intentioned, and I believe the Munambam issue will be resolved once the [Waqf] law is implemented following the Supreme Court's ruling.'advertisementWhile his church has no stake in the Munambam land issue, Alencherry too has held out assurances that the row will be settled soon.For the state BJP, the challenge is ensure damage control and keep the Munambam issue alive till assembly polls next year. Christians account for over 18 per cent of Kerala's population.How does Munambam see it all? Soni Mathew, one of the residents, told INDIA TODAY: 'The Munambam land issue may remain unresolved till the time the Waqf Board takes a magnanimous decision to surrender its claim. This may not happen under LDF (Left Democratic Front) rule. So both the BJP and the Congress will use the issue for electoral gains.'The state BJP is now trying to organise a meeting of representatives of the Munambam families with the prime minister. But this engagement has been postponed for now following the terror attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir. Some 40 Christians in Munambam have joined the BJP. For the party in Kerala, the target is Latin Catholics who, leaders believe, can help do well in the assembly segments in Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal, Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam in 2026.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
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