JD(U) MPs support to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has led to an open rift in the party with two non-political leaders in JDU opposing party's stand.
Prashant Kishore, national vice-president of JDU has regretted JD(U)'s decision to support the Bill and in a tweet he said he felt disappointed with the decision. He wrote, "Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion." "It's incongruous with the party's constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals, he added.
Pawan Kumar Verma, another senior party leader who was a former diplomat also opposed party decision and said he has requested the party president and Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar to review his decision and oppose the Bill in Rajya Sabha. R C P Singh, is JDU parliamentary leader in Rajya Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha, during the debate on the Bill on Monday evening, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lallan Singh, JD(U) MP had supported the Bill without any condition.
JD(U)'s decision to change its stand on the Bill has surprised even the state leaders. Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar had assured a delegation of its Assam unit recently that they would oppose the Bill.
During the debate on the bills related to triple talaq and abrogation of Article 370, JDU had not supported the official line and during voting, its MPs had walked out of the House.
Nitish Kumar's decision to support the Bill has come as a disappointment to the Muslim members in the party. It will have adverse effect on the minorities dominated constituencies of Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Araria bordering Bangladesh and Nepal. Bihar has over 16% Muslim voters who had once supported Nitish kumar in his campaign against the BJP and RSS in 2013.
In the last Lok Sabha elections too, the Muslims had supported the NDA and rejected RJD dismissing Muslim-Yadav combination theory.
The latest decision of Nitish Kumar has led to comments from the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav who said Nitish Kumar has no faith on the Muslims. Speaking at the national convention of RJD today, Tejashwi said Lalu Prasad always supported the Muslims and Nitish Kumar ditched them and proved himself as the leader of the 'B' team of BJP.
Meanwhile, an agitated mob of JD(U) workers on Tuesday evening damaged the office premises of national headquarters of party at Jantar mantar road in New Delhi protesting against the decision to support CAB.
Ghulam Ghouse, senior JDU leader from Muslim community today said JD(U)'s support to CAB was against the secular credentials of Nitish Kumar.
