NEW DELHI: It’s a catch-22 situation for the BJP allies in poll-bound Bihar. The anti-Waqf Amendment Bill protest in Patna on Wednesday set the stage for a fierce political showdown in the state as elections approach. While the RJD and other opposition parties have come out strongly against the proposed Bill claiming that it targets the minorities, the BJP has backed the amendments, saying it will benefit the poor sections of the Muslim community.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which is leading the nationwide protests, has alleged that the NDA government at the Centre is trying to seize Waqf properties that were dedicated by their forefathers for the welfare of the people. They claimed that the government is unlawfully attempting to take control of these properties.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is leading the opposition’s charge against the ruling NDA in Bihar, joined the AIMPLB protest, accompanied by his father Lalu Prasad. At the protest, Tejashwi asserted that his party would use its full might to oppose the Bill that was “unconstitutional”, “dictatorial” and inspired by the ideology of the RSS (“Nagpuriya“). The Congress, the Left parties and the latest entrant in Bihar politics – Prashant Kishor all have opposed the Waqf Bill.
However, it is the BJP-led NDA that faces a dilemma on the Waqf issue – which has the potential to polarise the voters of the state. While the BJP is firm in its backing of the amendments, its allies are guarded in their response.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar‘s JD(U), Union ministers Chirag Paswan’s LJP have always found support of minorities in the state in their pockets of influence. These leaders, who are known to hold grand Iftar parties over the years, have already faced the heat over the issue in the form of boycotts from some outfits this year. It will be interesting to see how they position themselves vis-à-vis the Bill amid the opposition’s attacks.
At today’s protest, Tejashwi called Nitish power-hungry. “There are some who are supporting the Bill because of their greed for power. I am proud that I have in my veins the blood of Lalu ji, who has come here despite his body having been worn down by a kidney transplant and heart surgeries,” Tejashwi said at the protest site.
Interestingly, an ailing Lalu was brought to the protest site perhaps to remind the minorities about the incident when the RJD supremo had famously stopped the Ayodhya Rath Yatra on its tracks by getting BJP patriarch L K Advani arrested in Bihar.
The RJD has already dropped enough hints that it will go all out to corner the JD(U) on the issue of Waqf Bill. Last week, the party had put up a poster targeting Nitish Kumar over his stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The poster, which was displayed outside the residence of former CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi at 10 Circular Road, Patna, depicted CM Nitish greeting a Muslim cleric. The message on the poster read, “Tum To Dhokhebaaz Ho, Wada Karke Bhul Jate Ho,” accusing Nitish of being a “cheater” who forgets his promises. The poster, placed by RJD leader Sanju Kohli, also contained a scathing message: “I will take your vote but not stand with you on NRC and Waqf Bill with you.”
RJD poster attacking Nitish Kumar
While the JD(U) and Nitish Kumar are yet to clear their stand on the issue, the party has countered RJD’s poster attack by releasing a new poster titled ‘Bhoolega Nahi Bihar,’ (Bihar will not forget). The poster highlights the “atrocities of the jungle raj” and carries the message ‘Bhoolega Nahi Bihar.’
LJP chief Chirag Paswan, who has objected to announcements of boycotts of his Iftaar parties, has blamed the Congress and RJD for the plight of Muslims, claiming that the community was treated as a “vote bank” by these parties.
Recalling the much talked about political move of his father late Ram Vilas Paswan in 2005, the LJP(RV) president said, “I shall continue to follow in the footsteps of my father, who had put his own political career at stake by promising his party’s support to whoever made a Muslim the chief minister of Bihar”.
However, another key NDA ally – Jitan Ram Manjhi targeted the Waqf protesters and used objectionable words for them.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to introduce reforms such as digitization, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The proposed amendment seeks to ensure that Waqf properties are utilized for their intended purposes, benefiting both the Muslim community and the country as a whole.
As the election in the state approaches, the attacks and counterattacks over the issue will get more sharp and shrill. The RJD and the Congress will try to maximise their political gains by raising the pitch and putting the NDA allies on the defensive. Any polarisation over the issue may end up helping them and also perhaps the BJP, which has already made massive gains in the state.
(With inputs from agencies)