Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has alleged that deadly violence is being incited across the country in the name of Waqf properties, claiming that three Hindu men, including a father and son, were dragged out of their homes and lynched in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district amid unrest linked to land disputes.
Speaking at a workshop under the Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan at Bhagidari Bhawan in Lucknow on Sunday, the Chief Minister accused vested interests of stoking communal tensions to derail the government’s efforts to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf land.
“In many states, lakhs of acres have been grabbed in the name of Waqf — without any documents or entries in land revenue records,” Yogi said. “Now, as strict action begins, an attempt is being made to spread violence and chaos.”
Referring to the Murshidabad killings, the CM claimed the victims were marginalized Dalit Hindus — those who stood to benefit from land redistribution and development efforts. The incident reportedly followed protests against the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
“The poor will finally have a chance at justice when such lands return to government records,” he added. “Flats and homes will be built on these lands and distributed to the needy. This is what the opposition fears — they fear losing their vote bank and their politics of deception.”
The Chief Minister also lashed out at the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), and Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing them of turning a blind eye to atrocities against Dalit Hindus in Bangladesh. “Only the BJP has had the courage to raise its voice for the persecuted,” he asserted.
Explaining the rationale behind the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Yogi Adityanath said the law aims to offer Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Quoting Rajya Sabha MP and former DGP Brijlal’s book, Yogi contrasted the legacies of Dr BR Ambedkar and Jogendra Nath Mandal. “Ambedkar said he would live and die an Indian. Mandal, on the other hand, went to Pakistan but could not stay there even for a year. The Hindus of Bangladesh are still paying the price for that mistake,” he said.
He further claimed that land encroachments on Dalit-owned property had often been facilitated by leaders affiliated with the Congress and SP. “We are taking strict action to free this land. When the Prime Minister introduced CAA, violent protests broke out — but we stayed firm and committed to justice,” Yogi said.
Concluding his address, the Chief Minister said the BJP’s approach was fundamentally different from that of its political rivals.
“Where others only saw refugees, we saw people — oppressed, displaced, and deserving of rights. And we acted.”
