CM Adityanath Slams Waqf Board as ‘Land Mafia’ Over Encroachment Claims

3rd April 2025 at 2:43 PM

1 minute read

Greater Noida, India- March 08, 2025: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressing the gathering at Dadri NTPC .The Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday laid the foundation stone of many mega IT projects and inaugurate multiple infrastructure projects having a budget of R1500 crore in Noida and Greater Noida including attending a public gathering in Dadri, in Greater Noida, India, on Saturday, March 08, 2025. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unleashed a fierce critique of the Waqf Board on Thursday, accusing it of unlawfully seizing land and branding its actions as those of a “land mafia.” Speaking at an event in Prayagraj, he declared that the state would no longer permit the board’s “unfounded assertions” over public and historical properties.

Adityanath pointed to specific instances where the Waqf Board had laid claim to lands, including areas designated for the Kumbh Mela. “They even said the Kumbh Mela land was theirs during preparations. We had to question has the Waqf Board become a land mafia?” he remarked. He underscored that his administration had taken decisive steps to eliminate such encroachments, asserting that mafias of all kinds had been expelled from Uttar Pradesh.

The chief minister highlighted past instances of alleged overreach, including claims on sacred sites tied to Nishad Raj. “Encroachments happened under the guise of Waqf, but that’s over now. We held a magnificent Kumbh Mela despite their resistance,” he said.

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Adityanath also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their efforts to address the Waqf Board’s alleged irregularities through legislation. “Thanks to the prime minister and home minister, the Waqf Board’s unchecked actions are being reined in. A key bill has cleared the Lok Sabha and is now before the Rajya Sabha,” he noted. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Reiterating his stance, Adityanath emphasized that illegal claims would no longer be tolerated, placing national interest above all. “Those committed to the nation will always move forward,” he concluded.