‘Hurts India’s secular image, part of BJP’s divisive agenda’: Akhilesh Yadav on Waqf
‘Hurts India’s secular image, part of BJP’s divisive agenda’: Akhilesh Yadav on Waqf Bill
M.U.H
02/04/202518
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday claimed that the Waqf Bill would hurt India’s secular image in the world and that it was being brought as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “divisive agenda”.
“The minister is saying that whether the land is for railways or defence, it belongs to India. But isn’t the land for defence or railways being sold? The government should guarantee that Waqf land will not be given to anyone else,” he said.
Yadav was expressing his views during the debate on Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 tabled by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha.
“This is a conspiracy to snatch homes and shops from crores of people in the country. When most political parties in the country are not in favour of it, there is no need to bring it. The Waqf Bill is a new form of BJP’s communal politics,” Yadav, the SP MP from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh said.
‘BJP wants people to be agitated’
“The BJP wants people to be agitated and is looking for an opportunity to create polarisation. This is being brought in to divide society and gain political benefits. They also want to create division among Muslims. Their attempt is to create a divide in the Muslim community through this bill,” the SP chief said.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju re-introduced the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, April 2.
The Bill amends the Waqf Act,1995 which governs the management of Waqf properties in India. “We have accepted several recommendations made by the JPC in the bill and have introduced an important amendment. This will give ‘umeed’ (hope) that a new dawn is about to come. That is why the name of the new act is also UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act),” Rijiju said in the Lok Sabha.
Yadav said, “Whenever the BJP introduces a new bill, they are hiding their failure.”
Yadav took a jibe at the BJP, stating, “The world’s largest party has not been able to pick its national president.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded to his remarks, saying, “All these parties have to choose their national president within five members. You won’t have any delay. I say it to you, you are the president for the next 25 years.”
