PATNA: The Janata Dal (United), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, suffered a setback after five of its minority cell leaders resigned in protest against the party’s support to the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament.
The Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, was passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha early on Friday.
The JD(U) leaders who resigned include Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Mohammad Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Mohammad Kasim Ansari. Tabrez Siddiqui Alig and Kasim Ansari were office-bearers of the JD(U)’s minority cell.
Shahnawaz, the state secretary of the minority cell in JD(U), said, “I have sent my resignation letter to JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, requesting the latter to relieve me from the party’s primary membership and other responsibilities with immediate effect. The copy of the resignation has also been forwarded to JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha.”
He told the media that several leaders were shocked over the JD(U)’s support to the Bill in Parliament. Mohammad Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, who was serving as the state general secretary of JD(U), also joined the group of leaders opposing the party’s stand.
Additionally, Mohammad Dilshan Raen, a JD(U) leader, and Kasim Ansari, spokesperson of the JD(U)’s medical cell, also resigned from the party’s primary membership.
“We feel disheartened over the party’s stand on the Bill in Parliament,” Kasim told the media in Motihari, the headquarters of East Champaran district.
The leaders said they had placed faith in Nitish Kumar’s leadership for being secular. “He has hurt the sentiments of Muslims by lending his party’s support to BJP over the Waqf Amendment Bill,” they asserted.
Describing the Bill as anti-Muslim, the leaders said they would not accept it under any circumstances. “The Bill is aimed at suppressing the fundamental rights of the citizens of the country,” they said, adding that Muslims will oppose it tooth and nail.
JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, however, defended the Waqf Amendment Bill, stating that it was introduced to address the mismanagement of Waqf properties and to ensure better representation of marginalised Muslim communities.
Jha pointed out that the Bihar caste survey included Pasmanda Muslims, along with Ansari and Mansuri communities, and that they would benefit from the Bill.
“Pasmanda Muslims, Ansari and Mansuri communities will benefit from the Bill because their representation will be on the board. This has been done to improve Waqf’s management,” he added.