Congress turned Waqf boards into loot boards: Radha Mohan Das Agrawal

The Congress turned Waqf caretakers into property lords who looted Muslim assets, BJP national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agrawal said here on Saturday, a day before the party would be launching a public awareness drive in support of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025.

Addressing a workshop, Agrawal, UP BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and state general secretary (Organisation) Dharampal Singh outlined the BJP’s roadmap for public outreach.

“The Congress turned Waqf boards into loot boards,” said Agrawal, alleging that Congress governments systematically allowed Waqf properties to be grabbed, repurposed, and monetized illegally through corrupt mutawallis and board officials.

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Citing the Sachar Committee report, Agrawal revealed that while Waqf assets in 2006 should have generated at least ₹12,000 crore annually, actual revenues stood at a meagre ₹163 crore.

“The Congress created a parallel system where Waqf boards could claim private land without even issuing notices. Victims weren’t even allowed to be heard. It was a blatant violation of Article 14 of the Constitution,” Agrawal said, asserting that the Modi government’s Waqf Amendment Act 2025 ended this one-sided system and mandated full record-keeping of every inch of Waqf land.

He added, “The Sachar Committee said the Waqf properties were being plundered. Prime Minister Modi has not just exposed this truth but acted to stop it.”

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Agrawal pointed to massive benefits extended to the Muslim community under various central schemes—31% of PM Awas Yojana homes, 37% of Ujjwala gas connections, 36% of Mudra loans, and more.

The UP BJP chief, meanwhile, said Waqf used to be a tool for land mafia but now it would function as a transparent institution. “The 2025 amendment ensures accountability, inclusion of women, and protects individual property rights, especially of weaker sections,” he said.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya accused the Congress of “squeezing lemons into the milk of national unity” and inciting communal rifts for votes. “For 60 years, they kept Muslims poor and angry. We are committed to making India a developed nation by 2047, and for that, we need to end vote-bank politics,” he said.

Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak slammed the Congress for treating Muslims like “a bay leaf in political biryani—used for flavor and thrown away.” He said the BJP is building inclusive development without eyeing votes.

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Speaking on the occasion, Dharampal Singh said, “Truth will defeat propaganda. Stressing the need to counter opposition narratives, especially those spread by Congress and SP, which he claimed are Fuelling unrest with misleading information.

BJP will conduct workshops on April 21–22 at the regional level, and on April 23–24 at the district level. Townhall events involving Muslim scholars, teachers, influencers, and professionals will be held across cities on April 25, 28, and 29. Door-to-door campaigns are scheduled for April 26–28, while “Nagrik Samvad” (citizens’ dialogue) will take place on May 2–3. The Women’s and Youth Wings will also lead focused outreach events in early May.