The Janata Dal (United), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, faced another jolt on Friday as three more leaders tendered their resignations in protest against the party’s support for the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament.
The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, was cleared by both Houses of Parliament by early Friday, prompting discontent within the JD(U)’s minority ranks.
Among those who stepped down are Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Mohammad Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik, and Mohammad Kasim Ansari. Tabrez Siddiqui Alig was serving as the state general secretary of the JD(U)’s minority cell, while Ansari was the spokesperson for its medical wing.
In his resignation letter addressed to party president Nitish Kumar, Shahnawaz Malik, state secretary of the JD(U) minority cell, said he was “deeply disheartened” and sought immediate relief from all party responsibilities. Copies of his resignation were also sent to JD(U)’s state president Umesh Kushwaha.
The resigning leaders expressed shock and disappointment over the JD(U)’s decision to back the controversial Bill, saying it betrayed the party’s professed commitment to secular values.
Speaking to the media in Motihari, Kasim Ansari said, “We are heartbroken. Supporting this Bill has hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.”
Calling the legislation “anti-Muslim,” the leaders alleged it was designed to undermine the fundamental rights of citizens and vowed to resist it forcefully. “We placed our trust in Nitish Kumar’s secular leadership. But this move aligns the party with the BJP’s agenda,” they said.
Defending the legislation, JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha claimed that the Bill aims to improve the administration of Waqf properties and ensure better inclusion of marginalised Muslim communities.
“Pasmanda Muslims, including the Ansari and Mansuri communities, will benefit through increased representation on the Waqf boards,” Jha said, adding that the move builds on the inclusive approach of the Bihar caste survey, which recognised these groups.
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