Patna, Bihar — The passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha has ignited a fierce internal conflict within Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JDU), exposing deep fissures over the party’s stance on the controversial legislation. Muslim leaders within the JDU, long seen as a secular ally in India’s political landscape, have openly rebelled against the bill, with former MLC Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi leading the charge by announcing plans to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Baliyavi launched a scathing attack on his own party, accusing it of abandoning its principles. “Yesterday, everyone was exposed in Parliament. There’s no difference left between secular and communal,” he said, his voice thick with frustration. Baliyavi revealed that he had exhausted every avenue to halt the bill’s progress, including appeals to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) tasked with reviewing the legislation and direct pleas to Nitish Kumar. “No one listened. No consideration was given,” he lamented, signaling a profound sense of betrayal.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, which seeks to overhaul the management of Waqf properties and has been criticized by opposition parties as an assault on Muslim autonomy, passed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with JDU’s support—a move that has stunned its Muslim leadership. Baliyavi, undeterred, urged opponents of the bill to “use their brains” and join him in a legal battle. He hinted at convening a meeting in the coming days to strategize and confirmed his intent to file a petition in the Supreme Court, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown.
Baliyavi is not alone in his dissent. Senior JDU leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Ashfaq Karim, alongside MLC Ghulam Gaus, have also publicly condemned the bill, accusing the party of bowing to pressure from its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. “This bill undermines the rights of Muslims and the spirit of secularism we’ve stood for,” Karim said in a statement, echoing Baliyavi’s outrage. Gaus, meanwhile, warned that the decision could alienate the party’s Muslim voter base in Bihar, a state where communal harmony has long been a political tightrope.
The rebellion marks a rare fracture within JDU, which has prided itself on maintaining unity under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Despite the vocal opposition from its Muslim leaders, the party’s parliamentary contingent toed the NDA line, voting in favor of the bill—a decision that analysts say could spark a broader revolt. “This is a turning point. The dissonance between the leadership and its Muslim representatives is now undeniable,” said political commentator Sanjay Yadav.
For Nitish Kumar, the controversy poses a delicate challenge. The veteran leader, who has navigated Bihar’s complex caste and communal dynamics for decades, now faces accusations of compromising JDU’s secular credentials to preserve his alliance with the BJP. Baliyavi’s threat of legal action and the prospect of a party meeting to rally dissenters signal that the unrest may not remain confined to rhetoric.
As the fallout unfolds, the JDU’s internal tussle could ripple beyond Bihar, complicating the NDA’s cohesion ahead of key state elections. For now, Baliyavi and his allies are digging in, determined to take their fight from the party room to the courtroom, with the Supreme Court looming as the next battleground in this escalating saga.
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