'Millions of dedicated Indian Muslims shocked': 2 JDU leaders quit party over support to Waqf Amendment Bill

In a letter to Nitish Kumar, senior JD(U) leader Mohammed Qasim Ansari said the party supporting the Centre on the Waqf issue has left him "disheartened" and "goes against our principles".

The other leader, Mohammad Ashraf Ansari, who heads the JD(U) minority wing, in his resignation letter said millions of Indian Muslims had unwavering faith that Nitish Kumar was the flag-bearer of a purely secular ideology.

"But now this belief has been broken. Millions of dedicated Indian Muslims and workers like us have been deeply hurt by the stand of JD(U)... We are deeply saddened by the manner and style in which Lallan Singh gave his speech and supported this bill in the Lok Sabha. The Waqf Bill is against Indian Muslims," Ashraf Ansari said.

"... I am disheartened that I gave several years of my life to the party," Qasim Ansari said in the letter in Hindi. "I would like to say with due respect that millions of Indian Muslims like us had unwavering faith that you are the flag bearer of a purely secular ideology. But now this belief has been broken. Millions of dedicated Indian Muslims and workers like us are deeply shocked by the stand of JDU..."

The decision of secular parties like Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United to support the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill has raised questions in political circles.

According to reports, their decision was based on the BJP's efforts to secure support on contentious issues from coalition partners.

Traditionally, the TDP and the JD(U)  heavily bank on Muslim support and have taken an opposing stance from the BJP on issues concerning Muslims, especially on matters like the Uniform Civil Code.

However, behind-the-scenes discussions have led the BJP to convince these parties to support the bill, NDTV reported, quoting sources.

The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was tabled by the Modi government in the Lok Sabha, was cleared by the lower house of Parliament after hours-long debate on Thursday, media reports said.

The bill was passed after a 12-hour marathon debate with 288 votes in its favour.

It was opposed by 232 members present and voting in the Lok Sabha.

Before introducing the bill in August, senior ministers had informed the TDP and JD(U) leadership about its significance.

They also consulted leaders from allies Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti and Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal, explaining that it aimed to protect Muslim interests and ensure women's rights rather than polarise communities as the Opposition alleged.

Although the allies agreed with the broad outline, they had concerns about certain provisions, particularly regarding the impact on existing Waqf properties and encroachment on state governments' rights, said reports.

The TDP supported the bill, focusing on the interests of Muslim women, youth, and marginalised communities. Other BJP allies, including LJP, Hindustan Awam Morcha, and the RLD, also aligned with this stance.