JD(U)'s Muslim leaders rally behind Nitish Kumar amid Waqf Bill backlash

Patna, April 5 (IANS) In a bid to stem growing discontent, senior Muslim leaders of the Janata Dal (United) came together at a joint press conference here on Saturday to defend Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and reaffirm their support for the Waqf Amendment Bill.

The show of unity comes amid a spate of resignations from Muslim functionaries protesting the party's stance on the bill.

Addressing the media at the party office, JDU’s state spokesperson Anjum Ara sought to allay fears. She said, “The five suggestions we submitted were accepted by the Joint Parliamentary Committee and incorporated into the bill. No mosque, dargah or religious site will be touched. As long as Nitish Kumar is in power, these places are protected.”

Ashraf Ansari, president of the party’s Minority Cell, expressed similar sentiments. He said, “The bill was backed only after our concerns were addressed. Those spreading fear are misleading people. Nitish Kumar has consistently worked for minorities, and we trust his leadership.”

Present alongside them were Legislative Councillors Ghulam Gaus, Afaque Ahmad Khan, and Khalid Anwar, former MPs Ashfaq Karim and Kahkashan Parveen, former Council Chairman Salim Parvez, Sunni Waqf Board Chairman Md Irshadullah, Shia Waqf Board Chairman Syed Afzal Abbas, Minority Cell in-charge Iqbal Haider, former MLA Master Mujahid Alam, Abdul Qayyum Ansari and several others.

However, the attempt to project unity was undercut by visible signs of strain. Ghulam Gaus, a known critic of the bill, was seated on the dais but not allowed to speak. Other dissenting leaders were similarly present but sidelined.

Gaus appeared visibly uneasy, sitting silently as others spoke. The press conference ended abruptly as leaders left without taking questions.

Despite the party’s public messaging, the backlash continues. At least seven Muslim leaders of the JD(U) have resigned in protest, including M. Raju Nair (former state secretary), Shahnawaz Malik (Minority Cell state secretary), Nadeem Akhtar (Bettiah district VP), Md. Tabrez Siddiqui (Minority Cell general secretary), Md. Dilshan Rain (Bhojpur district member), Mohammad Kasim Ansari (former Dhaka Assembly candidate), and Mohammad Feroz Khan (Nawada district secretary).

Though the party has dismissed these resignations as insignificant, their collective exit has spotlighted growing unease among the JD(U)’s grassroots Muslim cadre.

--IANS

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