NEW DELHI: JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar on Friday defended his party’s support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, as backlash from within escalated with a fifth leader resigning in protest.
Kumar challenged critics by questioning the commitment of other parties to minority welfare, asserting that Nitish Kumar’s government allocated Rs 110 crore to the Waqf Board—something he claimed no Congress-ruled or non-BJP state had done.
“The question is to keep the party’s existence alive and follow its decision. I want to ask which Congress-ruled or non-BJP-ruled state has allocated funds for the Waqf board. Nitish Kumar’s government gave Rs 110 crore to the Waqf Board,” Kumar told ANI.
He added, “Nitish Kumar got votes from all sections of the society. The Muslim community realises that Nitish Kumar ji worked for their welfare.”
His comments come amid a series of resignations within JD(U), with several leaders calling the party’s support for the bill “anti-Muslim.” On Friday, Nadeem Akhtar became the fifth to resign, following the exits of Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik, and Mohammed Kasim Ansari.
In his resignation, Nayyar wrote: “I resign from JD(U) after Waqf Amendment Bill is passed and supported in the Lok Sabha… I am deeply hurt by the JD(U) voting in favour of this black law, which oppresses Muslims.”
Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik echoed similar sentiments: “Millions of Indian Muslims like us had the firm belief that you are the flag bearer of purely secular ideology. But now this belief has been broken.”
Ansari said the party’s stance had “deeply hurt” Muslims, while Tabrez Siddiqui accused JD(U) of “betraying the trust of the Muslim community” in his letter to Nitish Kumar.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had earlier appealed to secular parties and NDA allies to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill, which was passed in Parliament early Friday morning after a 17-hour debate.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the result: “Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed.” Parliament also passed the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, during the session.
