Patna: Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has tried to explain his controversial election promise to “throw the Waqf Act into the dustbin.” This statement caused a big political uproar and charges from the BJP that he was misleading the public.
In an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times, Yadav said that the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was the focus of his statement. He wanted to stop it from being put into effect at the state level if the INDIA alliance wins the election in Bihar.
The Full Explanation
Yadav said, “What I meant to say is that if our government comes, we will not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in Bihar.” He used the position of another well-known opposition leader to support the state’s prerogative not to follow through. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has already said the same thing. The case is still in the Supreme Court, of course. He made it clear that the state has rights and can stop any act from happening on its own territory.
The Original Controversial Note
Yadav made his original speech at a number of heated public meetings in the state, including demonstrations in Katihar, Kishanganj, and Araria, where he focused on an anti-communal message.
He strongly brought up his family’s history, reminding the audience that his father, Lalu Prasad, “stopped the chariot of Adwaniji by arresting him in Bihar.” He said, using a local phrase meaning defiance, “I am his (Lalu’s) son and I can’t be scared by their geedarhbhabki (bluff).”
He then criticized the current Chief Minister directly: “But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has always supported such groups, and it is because of him that the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and its affiliates are spreading hatred between communities in the state and the country.” People should call the BJP the “Bharat Jalao Party.” He said, “We will throw the Waqf Act in the trash if the INDIA bloc wins in the state.”
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which Parliament passed in April, has caused a lot of debate. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the BJP, has officially supported the Act as a way to make things more open and give power to poor Muslims and women. On the other hand, the Opposition has strongly opposed it, saying that it goes too far and violates the rights of Muslims.
BJP Leaders Responded on Legality
BJP officials quickly and harshly criticized Yadav’s first comment, saying that it showed he didn’t understand how legislative and legal procedures work when it comes to Central legislation.
The BJP’s national spokesperson, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, quickly criticized the statement, saying that RJD members are “from the era of jungle raj.” He stressed the measure’s legal standing: “They don’t aware that the Supreme Court has also authorized the statute (Waqf Amendment Act) that the central parliament passed… People are saying things like these to trick the public… “RJD is very unhappy and angry.”
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also criticized Yadav, saying that a state assembly can’t do much: “These people are already confusing the public.” The Waqf Board bill is passed by Parliament, not the assembly… People should only talk about what they know… Tiwari said in Patna, “You should only talk about what you can do.”
Yadav’s clarification, notwithstanding the political firestorm, is a political message about the limits of Central power. It puts the INDIA bloc in the role of protecting minority rights against contentious federal laws.