PATNA: The list of Muslim leaders resigning from the Janata Dal (United) in protest against the party’s support to the Centre’s Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament is growing steadily. On Saturday, Afridi Rehman, the state general secretary of JD(U)’s minority cell, resigned from both the party and his organisational post.
Afridi told media persons that he had stepped down from JD(U)’s primary membership and the post of state general secretary in the minority cell following the party’s support to the Waqf Amendment Bill. His supporters also raised slogans against the JD(U)’s stance on the Bill, calling it “anti-Muslim”.
In his resignation letter sent to JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar and state unit chief Umesh Kushwaha, Afridi said he was deeply hurt by the party's support to the Bill in Parliament.
Dr Kasim, district spokesperson of JD(U)’s medical unit in Muzaffarpur, also resigned from the party’s primary membership to express solidarity with other Muslim leaders.
JD(U)’s medical cell president Dr Rajesh Patel said Dr Kasim was appointed as district spokesperson on 15 October 2023, but had been removed from the post on 10 May 2024 due to “anti-party activities”. Dr Patel claimed, “Dr Kasim’s resignation will not affect the party as he had already been removed from the primary membership.”
Dr Kasim had unsuccessfully contested the 2020 state assembly election from the Dhaka seat in East Champaran district, securing only 499 votes from over 3.21 lakh voters.
Earlier, seven Muslim leaders, including Mohammad Kasim Ansari, Nadeem Akhtar, Nawaz Mallik, Mohammad Raju Nayyar, and Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, had quit the party soon after the Bill was passed in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is currently awaiting presidential assent, after which it will become an Act.
Meanwhile, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said those leaders who resigned had no real association with the party. “The names which are claiming to be part of JD(U), are not actually a part of the party. They were outsiders and no longer associated with JD(U),” he said, adding that the Opposition was creating confusion around the Bill for political gain.
He further claimed, “The interest of the Minority community will not be affected under Nitish Kumar’s tenure. Nitish has taken several measures for the welfare of the Minority community.”
JD(U)’s minority cell state president Asaraf Ansari and spokesperson Anjum Ara also backed the chief minister’s stance. “Nitish Kumar’s contribution to the development of people belonging to the Minority community is significant. It is a conspiracy to defame the party,” they said at a press conference.
