Three top Muslim leaders resign from JD(U) over party’s support to Waqf Bill

There is a growing unease among the JD(U) Muslim leaders over the party’s support to the Waqf Amendment Bill. So far, three popular leaders have resigned, and they expressed confidence that many more leaders with true values will resign from the party, opposing its support for the Waqf Bill. They alleged the bill was a conspiracy against Muslims and violation of their rights.

Senior party leader Mohammed Qasim Ansari was the first to resign from the party, alleging that by supporting the bill, JD-U Chief Nitish Kumar has given a big blow to the Muslim community.

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In his resignation, Ansari stated that he cannot accept this Bill at any cost. Through this bill, Muslims have been humiliated and disgraced, he alleged, and expressed regret for staying in the JD(U) for so many years.

Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik, JD(U) Bihar’s Minority Cell Secretary, announced his resignation through a letter addressed to party president Nitish Kumar on Friday, adding that he had lost all trust of Muslims who believed that the party was secular.

In the letter, Malik wrote, “Millions of Indian Muslims like us had a firm belief that you are the flag-bearer of purely secular ideology. But now this belief has been broken.”

JD(U) Minority Cell’s State General Secretary Mohammad Tabrez Siddiqui Alig was the third top leader to resign from the party.

He said that Muslim leaders of the party failed to study Nitish Kumar’s silence on the Waqf Bill. They were under the impression that he would decide to oppose the Bill once the MPs received a copy of the Bill.

But, as the party’s stand became clear during the debate in the Lok Sabha, they started raising voices against the party leadership.

JD-U MLC Ghulam Gaus was the first to register his protest against the bill.

The party’s National General Secretary Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi has also cornered the NDA government. He said that secular and communal elements have been exposed in Parliament over the Waqf Amendment Bill.

He said that a meeting will be convened very soon to discuss the impact of the new law and to plan a strategy to counter it.

He said, “It is time for concrete action. Muslims should get ready to fight for their rights – not just on social media.”