New Delhi [India], April 4: The JD(U) has suffered a blow as four of its members submitted their resignations, following the party’s controversial support for the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament. Independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, claiming his mental state is not stable and that he is no longer in control of his party. “Nitish Kumar ji’s mental state is not good. Within his party, 90 leaders, who are aligned with the BJP, are against SC/ST… The day voting takes place in Bihar, after 5 pm, BJP won’t need Nitish Kumar anymore,” Yadav stated in an ANI interview.
Yadav also accused the ruling party at the Centre of bypassing the Constitution and ignoring the concerns of minority communities. “Do they even have a single Muslim MP? Do they give tickets to Muslims?” he questioned. “They want to divert attention from the real issues… The nation will not accept this and will respond appropriately.”
Raju Nayyar, one of the JD(U) leaders who resigned, expressed his disappointment over the party’s vote in favor of the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a “black law” that oppresses Muslims. “I resign from my position as the former state secretary of JD(U) youth and from the primary membership of the party,” he announced.
Three other JD(U) leaders, including Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik, and Mohammed Kasim Ansari, also resigned, citing the party’s stance on the bill as a betrayal of Muslim trust. Siddiqui Alig and Malik accused the party of breaking its secular ideology, while Ansari highlighted the hurt caused to millions of Muslims by the JD(U)’s position.
The resignations come at a crucial time as Bihar prepares for upcoming assembly elections. The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 was passed in the early hours of Friday after a heated debate in Parliament. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the bill’s passage with 128 votes in favor and 95 against.