Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday criticized the functioning of the Waqf Board and accused him of trying to “capture the land” in Prayagraj.
Yogi Adityanath’s statement supported the requirement of the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, which was passed in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
Yogi Adityanath said that during Mahakumbh, the Waqf Board was giving this “arbitrary statement” that the land belonged to him and he questioned whether the board was a “land mafia board”.
While attending an event organized on the occasion of Nishadraj Guha Jayanti in Prayagraj, CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Some people did not want a mythological place like Prayagraj to get his identity because his vote bank was important for him. He tried to occupy the land in Prayagraj and other cities in the name of Waqf. When we were organizing the Mahakumbh, the Wakf Board was also giving the land of the wake Waqf has land. Is it a Waqf board or a ‘land mafia’ board? “
Yogi Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for curbing the Waqf Board and said that the bill will also be passed in the Rajya Sabha.
Yogi Adityanath said, “We have wiped out the mafia from Uttar Pradesh … We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that he rein in the Waqf Board and did welfare work by passing this important Act in the Lok Sabha. It will be passed in Rajya Sabha today.”
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday introduced a proposal to consider the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Muslim Waqf (Relations) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha a day after the passage of a majority in the Lok Sabha. There was a 12 -hour debate in the lower house, after which the bill was passed with 288 votes, while it passed with 232 votes.
The objective of this bill amend the 1995 Act to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. It aims to remove the shortcomings of the previous Act and increase the efficiency of Waqf boards, improve the registration process and increase the role of technology in the management of Waqf records.
