Samajwadi Party (SP) President and Member of Parliament Akhilesh Yadav on Friday launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of widespread land encroachments in Uttar Pradesh and calling it the "biggest land mafia" in the country.
His comments come at a time of intensified political debate over land ownership and the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Speaking to the media in Lucknow, Yadav alleged that BJP leaders and their associates had unlawfully seized public lands in several key districts including Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
“The BJP is the biggest land mafia party. No one has usurped more land than them. Just check the registries of Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Lucknow. Government lands, ponds, and other public properties have been grabbed through various means,” Yadav claimed.
Referring to a recent incident in Gorakhpur, he added, “Today, bullets were fired over a land dispute in Gorakhpur. The Supreme Court and the High Court have repeatedly labelled the use of bulldozers as inhumane. Most of these land mafia cases are taking place in Gorakhpur and Ayodhya.”
On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had sharply criticised the functioning of the Waqf Board, accusing it of attempting to illegitimately claim land in Prayagraj.
Defending the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Yogi Adityanath said the amendment was necessary to prevent such actions. He questioned whether the Waqf Board was becoming a “land mafia board” and alleged that, during the preparations for the Maha Kumbh, the Board was making arbitrary claims over land ownership.
Speaking again on Saturday, Adityanath praised the bill’s passage, asserting that it would put an end to land grabs in the name of the Waqf Board.
“No one can now loot land under the guise of the Waqf Board. Public property and revenue lands will now be used to build schools, colleges, hospitals, and housing for the poor,” said the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed earlier this week in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, has become a flashpoint between the ruling BJP and opposition parties. Members of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill, claiming it unfairly targeted minority rights.
The bill aims to rectify the shortcomings of the existing Waqf Act and to improve the governance of Waqf properties. It proposes to enhance transparency in the registration of Waqf assets and to incorporate technology to maintain accurate and updated records.
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