Tejashwi’s Bihar election promise: ‘Will bin Waqf law if INDIA bloc comes to power’

Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Act in April. In September, the Supreme Court temporarily stayed provisions granting district collectors wide powers over Waqf properties and requiring five years of practising Islam to create a Waqf. The court also capped the number of non-Muslims on the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards.

Yadav also slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for “making space” for the BJP and the RSS. “RJD is a party that has never compromised on its ideology. Lalu ji never compromised with communal forces,” he said. “Today our uncle Nitish Kumar has changed course and gone to the BJP. If anyone has made space for the BJP in Bihar, it is Nitish Kumar. If anyone brought the RSS to the ground in Bihar, it is Nitish Kumar.”

“When our government was there… RSS didn’t have the courage to come here and foment riots. We never bowed down,” he said.

Listing development and welfare promises, Yadav accused the state administration of corruption and neglect in Seemanchal, calling it “the poorest region of the country.”

He alleged that graft at police stations and block offices had made public services hostage to bribery. “Without paying a bribe nothing happens… People are ruined by corruption.”

He cited poor infrastructure and services in schools, colleges, hospitals, roads and flood-control works, reiterating his party’s plan to create a Seemanchal Development Authority for regional projects.

Yadav also accused the BJP of intimidation through central agencies. “Amit Shah threatened me in Patna, to teach Tejashwi a lesson so that he will have to think about contesting the next election,” he said.

“When Lalu ji didn’t get intimidated by their masters, will his son get initimidated by them,” he said, referring to L K Advani’s arrest in Bihar during Lalu Prasad’s tenure.

He said that during his 17-month tenure as Deputy CM, he delivered “five lakh jobs by regularising four lakh contractual teachers,” and reiterated his promise of “one government job for every household in Bihar.”

Yadav alleged that the current government was copying his schemes by raising pensions and giving 125 units of free electricity. “In the last 20 years they didn’t care about giving 10,000,” he said, urging voters to choose between short-term handouts and permanent jobs. “Decide, do you want one government job in a family or 10,000 as a bribe?”