Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly defended the Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha, accusing previous administrations of using waqf laws for land encroachment. Speaking in Prayagraj, the CM criticized those who, he claimed, sought to suppress the city's historical identity for political gain.
"Some people did not want a mythological place like Prayagraj to gain its identity because their vote bank was important for them… In the name of Waqf, they had tried to capture the land here in Prayagraj and other cities as well. When we were organising Maha Kumbh, the Waqf Board was making arbitrary statements that the land of Kumbh in Prayagraj is also Waqf land. Is it the Waqf Board or the 'Land Mafia' Board? We have already wiped the mafia out of Uttar Pradesh… We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for putting a check on the Waqf Board and doing welfare work by passing this important act in the Lok Sabha. Today, it will be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well," Adityanath stated.
#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP | On the #WaqfAmendmentBill passed in the Lok Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says, "Some people did not want a mythological place like Prayagraj to gain its identity because their vote bank was important for them... In the name of Waqf,… pic.twitter.com/7swW6clNIp
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2025
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was passed after an intense debate in Parliament, aims to bring more regulations and transparency to waqf property management. While the ruling NDA has framed it as a necessary measure to prevent land misuse, the opposition has termed it as "anti-Muslim" and an attack on minority rights.
