Yogi Adityanath calls Waqf Board ‘land mafia’, accuses it of land encroachments

Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, charged that the Waqf Board was infringing on historical and public sites around the state. Adityanath warned that the Waqf board's "arbitrary claims" over historical monuments and public properties would no longer be accepted while speaking to a crowd in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the chief minister, the Waqf Board's activities were similar to those of a "land mafia." "The Waqf Board had been claiming lands in several cities without any justification. They claimed ownership of the event's land even as the Kumbh Mela preparations were underway. We needed to know if the Waqf Board had turned into a land mafia. Adityanath flinched.

He emphasized that mafias had been expelled from Uttar Pradesh and that such encroachments had been eliminated during his administration. "The hallowed land connected to Nishad Raj was among the locations where encroachments were done in the name of Waqf. However, this will not be permitted to go on. Despite their protests, a magnificent and holy Kumbh Mela was organized," he remarked.