MillenniumPost
Nation

Discontent in Nitish's JD(U) following support to CAB

Patna: Discontent brewed in Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) on Thursday in the wake of the partys support to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed by both Houses of Parliament. The JD(U) voted in favour of the Bill in the Lok Sabha as well in the Rajya Sabha. The Legislation seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims fleeing adjacent Islamic republics because of "persecution".

The party's national vice-president Prashant Kishor declared that he was "not giving up" his opposition to the legislation while its Muslim MLAs and MLCs propose to seek an audience with the chief minister who heads the party and apprise him of their anxieties.

"We are told that #CAB is bill to grant citizenship and not to take it from anyone. But the truth is together with #NRC, it could turn into a lethal combo in the hands of Government to systematically discriminate and even prosecute people based on religion.#NotGivingUp", Kishor who has been lambasting his own party over the issue tweeted.

Besides Kishor, another top office-bearer of the party Pavan K Varma, a national general secretary, had similarly criticized the party stance a couple of days ago holding that the legislation was "unconstitutional" and "discriminatory" besides being "against the secular principles of the JD(U)". Varma, however, did not make any fresh comment after voicing disagreement in the wake of the party voting in favour of the Bill in the Lol Sabha.

Moreover, JD(U) MLA Mujahid Alam who represents Kochadhaman assembly segment of Muslim-dominated Kishanganj district told PTI "we are under tremendous pressure from our voters who have misgivings about CAB.

"People like myself and Ghulam Rasool Balyawi (MLC) and even non-Muslim MLAs and MLCs who have reservations about the legislation are planning to jointly seek an appointment with the Chief Minister and apprise him of our anxieties", Alam said.

Notably, Balyawi had on Wednesday shot off a letter urging Kumar to do a rethink and not support the Bill in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP did not have a majority. However, his appeal was rebuffed by RCP Singh, the partys leader in the Upper House and a close aide of the chief minister who asked MPs to vote in favor of the Bill and pay no attention to Balyawis remonstrations.

Speculations were rife that Kumar, known to brook no dissent, might crack the whip on recalcitrant leaders.

Meanwhile, the drama provided the opposition Grand Alliance with fresh ammunition to train its guns at the Bihar chief minister.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition, came out with a flurry of tweets attacking Kumar and pointing out that after initially opposing NRC despite alliance with BJP, the JD(U) chiefs support to CAB marked yet another political U-turn.

Next Story
Share it