The Kerala Police have issued a strong notice warning Muslim organizations—Solidarity Youth Movement and Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO)—against going ahead with their planned blockade of Kozhikode International Airport on April 9. The protest is aimed at opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Act passed by Parliament last week. Citing Section 39(2)(d) of the Kerala Police Act, authorities cautioned that any vehicles used to transport protesters will be seized and legal action will be initiated under the Motor Vehicles Act. The notice emphasized that the protest lacks police permission and could disrupt public movement and airport operations, potentially leading to law-and-order issues.

Despite the warning, the state leadership of both SIO and Solidarity took to social media to denounce the police action, vowing to continue with the protest. They accused the Kerala government of hypocrisy—claiming to oppose the controversial act, yet suppressing democratic dissent through heavy-handed police measures. SIO state president Adv. Abdul Wahid slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led administration for following the same authoritarian approach as seen in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh. He noted that the language in the police notice closely mirrors that used in crackdowns elsewhere, raising concerns over democratic rights in Kerala.

Echoing this criticism, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s Kerala state president P. Mujeeburahman urged the government to revoke the notice. He questioned the credibility of a Left-ruled government adopting what he described as “fascist” tactics against minorities. “If Kerala is competing with Delhi and UP police—who’ve normalized the persecution of minorities—then what is the point of a Left government?” he asked. He further stated that India’s oppressed communities will not be silenced by such authoritarian threats and called on the state to protect, not suppress, dissent.