Akhilesh Yadav Criticizes BJP Over National President Selection Amid Waqf Amendment Bill Controversy

Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav criticized BJP’s delay in choosing a national president and accused the party of using the Waqf Amendment Bill to distract from governance failures. Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the BJP's democratic process. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed the bill serves national interest, despite opposition concerns.

On Thursday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a critical broadside against the BJP during a Lok Sabha session, questioning the delay in selecting a national president. In a pointed reply, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the BJP follows a democratic selection process that involves millions of members, contrasting it with other parties that he claimed rely on familial decisions for leadership.

Yadav accused the BJP of introducing the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill to divert public attention from its governance failures. He argued that each new bill presented by the BJP is a tactic to obscure shortcomings within the government. Defending the BJP, Amit Shah reiterated that the party operates on democratic principles and maintained that the selection process takes time due to the involvement of its vast membership base.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha considered the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved the bills for passage, asserting that they are designed for national benefit. Rijiju dismissed opposition claims of legislative bulldozing, stating that amendments stem from a Joint Parliamentary Committee report. Despite opposition calls for more debate, the government affirmed the bills' timely passage serves the country’s best interests.