"Is it Waqf Board or 'Land Mafia' Board?" UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 3 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday 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 the Lok Sabha yesterday.
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."
Attending a programme organised on the occasion of Nishadraj Guha Jayanti in Prayagaraj, CM Yogi Adityanath said,"Some people did not want a mythological place like Prayagraj to gain its identity because their vote bank was important for them... In the name of Waqf, they had tried to capture the land here in Prayagraj and other cities as well. When we were organising Maha Kumbh, the Waqf Board was making arbitrary statements that the land of Kumbh in Prayagraj is also Waqf land. Is it the Waqf Board or the 'Land Mafia' Board?"

Yogi Adityanath thanked PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for "putting a check" on the Waqf board and said that the bill will be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well.
"We have already wiped the mafia out of Uttar Pradesh... We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for putting a check on the Waqf Board and doing welfare work by passing this important act in the Lok Sabha. Today, it will be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well," Yogi Adityanath said.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday moved a motion for consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is tabled in the Rajya Sabha, a day after it was cleared with a majority in the Lok Sabha. The Lower House witnessed a 12-hour debate, after which the Bill was passed with 288 in its favour and 232 against it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It 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)