Parliament flashback: When Lalu Yadav said 'Waqf had grabbed all land', sought strict law against it | Watch

Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal. (File Photo: PTI)

An old video featuring RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav speaking in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Wakf(Amendment) Bill in 2010 has surfaced amid the strong criticism by opposition parties and several Muslim organisations to the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled by the Centre in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

During a discussion on the Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to the video, suggesting that the Opposition's resistance to the legislation was only because the BJP has brought the Bill.

2010 Waqf Board - #WaqfBoard #WaqfAmendmentBill pic.twitter.com/hibg68pULH
Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) April 2, 2025

A video of Lalu's remarks was shared by Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary that showed Lalu demanding a strict law against the Waqf usurping prime properties in the country.

"Look, there should be a very strict law. All the land has been grabbed — whether it's government land or private land, or land belonging to those who worked there. Everything has been sold off. Prime land. It's not like it was agricultural land. All the property near Patna's Dak Bungalow has been turned into apartments. Everyone has looted. From now on... well, today, go ahead and bring this, we will pass your amendment. But going forward, whatever process is being created, it must be done strictly," Lalu is heard saying in the video.

Notably, Lalu's remarks stand in stark contrast to the position taken by the RJD regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. "This is an unconstitutional Bill. We are people who believe in the Constitution. People of BJP want to impose 'Nagpur ka kanoon'; that is not at all acceptable to us. We believe in 'Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb', the diversity of our country is the beauty of it," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said.

The former Bihar Deputy CM said that the RJD will oppose the Bill in both Houses of Parliament. "We will oppose it even in the time to come. Such a Bill will never be acceptable to us. Despite his health condition, Lalu ji joined the protest," he said.

The Centre tabled the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday saying it aims to ensure transparency and accountability in managing Waqf properties and is in the interests of poor Muslims, women, and children. He said the legislation, which will be renamed as the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill, corrects previous amendments that gave the Waqf Act overriding power over other laws.