"BJP is biggest land mafia party," accuses SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 5 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of rampant land grabbing in Uttar Pradesh and branding it the "biggest land mafia" in the country. His remarks come amid heightened political discourse over land ownership and the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Yadav alleged that the BJP leaders and their associates have illegally taken control of public lands in several major districts, including Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and the state capital, Lucknow.
"The biggest land mafia party is the BJP. No one has grabbed more land than the BJP. Just check the registries of Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Lucknow. Here, government land, ponds, and many other things have been snatched in various ways," he said.
Referring to an incident in Gorakhpur, Yadav added, "In Gorakhpur today, bullets were fired over land... The Supreme Court and High Court have called the bulldozer inhumane countless times. The most land mafia activities have happened in Gorakhpur and Ayodhya."
Earlier, on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the functioning of the Waqf board, accusing them of attempting to "capture land" in Prayagraj.
Yogi Adityanath's statement backed the necessity of the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, which was passed in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Yogi Adityanath said that during the Maha Kumbh, the Waqf board was making "arbitrary statements" that the land belongs to them and questioned whether the board is a "Land Mafia board."
Today, as well lauding the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill on Saturday said that now "no one can rob lands in the name of Waqf Board," with public property being used to build schools, colleges, hospitals, or housing for the poor.
"Now, no one can rob lands in the name of the Waqf Board... Public property and revenue lands will now be used to build schools, colleges, hospitals, or housing for the poor," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed by Parliament earlier this week. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed marathon debates on the bill. The bill was opposed by parties in the INDIA bloc.
The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)