“A guise to cover up shortcomings…”: Akhilesh Yadav Slams BJP over Waqf Bill, Calls It a Cover-Up for Government Failures

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhliesh Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over the contentious Waqf Bill, suggesting that the saffron party introduced the new bill to “cover up its shortcomings.” He criticized the ruling BJP, stating that there is an ongoing competition within the party to determine "who among them is the worst Hindu."

The Kannauj MP further attacked the BJP, pointing out that while they claim to be the largest political party in the country, they have yet to elect a national president. In response, Home Minister Amit Shah remarked that for the Samajwadi Party, only five family members are in contention for the presidency, making the selection process easier. However, in the BJP, the choice must be made from among millions of members, which takes time.

Referring to a recent march, Yadav stated, "The Waqf Bill has brought to light the failures of the government." He reminded the ruling party of past failures, including demonetization, unemployment, poverty, unclean rivers, and the stalled Smart City projects.

Yadav also criticized restrictions imposed on Eid celebrations, questioning why people were prevented from extending greetings during the festival. He said, "The BJP claims to treat all citizens equally, yet such restrictions raise doubts about their intentions."

Targeting Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Yadav remarked, "You follow Buddhism and do not accept our scriptures, yet we consider you one of us. Even though you do not acknowledge the Puranas and Upanishads, we are the kind of Hindus who still embrace you as our own."

He also challenged the BJP on women's representation, saying, "Let’s see how many tickets they will allocate to women in the Bihar elections."

Accusing the government of using bills to conceal its failures, Yadav said, "Every time BJP introduces a new bill, it is meant to cover up their shortcomings. Even today, they do not speak about the number of people who died at the Kumbh Mela." He went on to allege that the government is trying to commercialize religious gatherings, saying, "Kumbh is not a marketplace. Religious places should not be turned into business centers."

The Samajwadi Party Chief also raised questions about land sales, asking, "The government claims that defense, railway, and airport lands belong to the nation. If that is true, why are these lands being sold? I want the minister to clarify the status of land occupied by China, where they have built structures."

Speaking about the Waqf Bill’s implications, he said, "The purpose of this amendment is to strip the Muslim community of their public rights and diminish their influence." He accused the BJP of using this bill as a tool to seize properties. He further questioned the necessity of the bill, stating, "When most political parties in the country oppose it, why is it being pushed forward?"

Taking a jibe at the BJP’s slogan, he said, "They write ‘Satyamev Jayate’ (Truth alone triumphs) outside, but inside, they speak only falsehoods." Yadav claimed that the bill was introduced as a desperate move to recover lost votes, saying, "Ever since their vote share started declining, they have been scrambling to retain their support. This bill is just another attempt to regain lost ground."

He accused the BJP of trying to take control of Waqf properties, saying, "Their goal is to seize control of these lands and hand them over to their own people through the back door." He further alleged that the bill is aimed at polarizing communities for political gain. “The Waqf Bill will send a negative message globally and raise questions about secularism in India," he warned.

Predicting that this bill could backfire on the ruling party, he said, "For now, BJP has managed to keep its allies together, but this Waqf Bill will prove to be their Waterloo. On the surface, their allies appear supportive, but internally, many are against it."

Finally, he accused the BJP of attempting to divide Muslim votes through this bill and declared, "The Samajwadi Party opposes this bill and will vote against it."

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