"Old tactic": Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor slams Nitish Kumar on Waqf Bill

Patna (Bihar) [India], April 1 (ANI): Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor has slammed Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar for remaining silent on the Waqf Bill and termed it as his "old tactic".

He said that at the time of the CAA-NRC bill, it was decided that JD(U) would be opposing the bill, however, the vote was cast in its support. Kishor said when he confronted Nitish Kumar on the issue, he told him to tell the media that the law will not be implemented in Bihar. 

"This is an old tactic of Nitish Kumar...He voted in support of CAA-NRC. I was a member of his party at that time...It had been decided in the meeting of the party and Nitish Kumar had spoken in detail that we strongly oppose this. But in Parliament, vote was cast in support of CAA-NRC. When I directly confronted Nitish Kumar, he told me to tell journalists that the Bill wouldn't be implemented in Bihar, that he was on a visit and did not know how his leaders voted in Lok Sabha. At that time, I felt that this man was not loyal to anybody, neither to the BJP nor to the Muslims...This is his old tactic to appease and fool all sections. People are watching this character of Nitish Kumar and are over it now", Prashant Kishor told ANI.

Prashant Kishor further stated that if we are deviated from the commitments and assurances that our founding fathers gave to different sections of this country after independence, then it becomes the responsibility of the people of this generation to be truthful to those commitments.  

"It is unfortunate. I don't see this as against Muslims or against Hindus...If you deviate from the commitments and assurances that our founding fathers gave to different sections of this country after independence, then it becomes the responsibility of the people of this generation to be truthful to those commitments", Prashant Kishor said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday.

Kishor further added that if any changes are being made against any section of the society then it should be done by taking them in confidence. He also highlighted that a "large section of Muslims are feeling threatened with Waqf Bill" and felt that the government is forming the law in "in haste for the politics of polarisation".

"If you are making any changes to them that impacts any section, then those sections should be taken into confidence before making such laws. A large section of Muslims are feeling threatened with Waqf Bill. I feel that the Government is forming this law in haste for the politics of polarisation", Prashant Kishor said.

He further highlighted that the BJP does not consider Muslims as their votebank and they do not have the majority in the Lok Sabha. He said that BJP can never make this law if they do not have the support of Nitish Kumar. Kishor also targeted Nitish Kumar and said that he keeps on telling Muslims that he is the well-wisher of the community. He should definitely think is not he showing his "hypocrisy" by supporting the bill. 

"Government doesn't have majority in Lok Sabha. They are able to bring this law because people like Nitish Kumar are supporting the Government; if leaders like Nitish Kumar do not vote in support of this Bill in Lok Sabha, then Government can never make this a law. BJP doesn't consider Muslims their vote bank...but people like Nitish Kumar who tell Muslims every day that they are the well-wishers of the community, should definitely think that aren't they showing their hypocrisy by voting in support of this Bill even when they speak of Gandhi, Lohia and JP? When this era will be written in history, the blame for this law will be more on leaders like Nitish Kumar than the BJP", he said. (ANI)