Akhilesh Yadav Accuses BJP of Land Grabbing Amid Waqf Bill Debate

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP of large-scale land grabbing in Uttar Pradesh, calling it the 'biggest land mafia' amid the heated political climate following the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Yadav's allegations coincide with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's criticism of the Waqf board's land claims.

Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party and Lok Sabha MP, launched a fierce critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, accusing it of widespread land grabbing in Uttar Pradesh. Yadav labeled the BJP as the nation's 'biggest land mafia.' His allegations shine a spotlight on ongoing political tension regarding land ownership following the passage of the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Speaking in Lucknow, Yadav alleged that BJP leaders and their allies have illegally occupied public lands in major districts such as Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and the state capital, Lucknow. Referring to an incident in Gorakhpur, Yadav claimed, 'In Gorakhpur today, bullets were fired over land... The Supreme Court and High Court have repeatedly deemed the use of bulldozers inhumane.'

Concurrently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized the Waqf board's operations on Thursday, accusing them of land capture attempts. Supporting the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, he emphasized the end of land expropriation under the guise of the Waqf Board, asserting that public lands would now serve community development purposes.

(With inputs from agencies.)