Prayagraj: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on the Waqf Board, accusing it of illegitimately claiming public and historical lands, including areas associated with the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj.
Speaking at an event in Shringverpur, Adityanath praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for introducing a new Bill aimed at addressing disputes over Waqf properties.
“During the Mahakumbh, the Waqf Board even claimed that the land belonged to them. I thank the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for bringing this Bill,” Adityanath stated, reinforcing the spiritual and cultural significance of Prayagraj. “This is our sacred land, where devotees from across the country and the world come to offer their prayers with reverence,” he added.
The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s crackdown on alleged illegal land encroachments by the Waqf Board and other groups. “We have driven out Waqf mafias and land mafias from Uttar Pradesh,” he declared, emphasizing that the arbitrary claims of the Waqf Board on public and religious sites would no longer be tolerated.
Adityanath pointed out that several places, including land associated with Nishadraj, had been encroached upon in the name of Waqf. “Even during the Kumbh, statements were made that the land of Kumbh also belongs to Waqf. We had asked - has the Waqf Board become a land mafia?” he remarked. Despite objections, he highlighted that a grand and successful Kumbh Mela was organized under his government.
The controversy comes as the Union government moves to regulate Waqf properties more strictly. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
“We are grateful to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for curbing the arbitrariness of the Waqf Board. An important bill resolving this issue has already been passed in the Lok Sabha and will soon be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well,” Adityanath stated. He reaffirmed that the state would no longer tolerate illegal claims on public land, stressing that “national interest must come first.”