Two senior Janata Dal (United) leaders resigned from the party on Thursday after party voted in favour of Waqf (Amendment Bill). The bill was passed in both houses of parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha after marathon hours of debate. JDU is alliance with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and supported to clear the bill which amended the Waqf Act of 1995 to regulate its properties.
Mohammed Qasim Ansari and Shah Nawaz Malik, wrote letters to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said that they had "lost all trust" of Muslims who believed that the party was secular.
JDU Minority Pradesh Secretary, Bihar, Shah Nawaz Malik, wrote, "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 shattered. Millions of dedicated Indian Muslims and activists like us are deeply shocked by JDU's stand regarding the Waqf Bill Amendment Act 2024."
"I am disheartened that I gave several years of my life to the party," Mohammed Qasim Ansari wrote in Hindi. Meanwhile, Malik said that the Waqf bill violates many basic rights laid out in the Constitution.
"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 JD(U)," Ansari wrote in a letter to Bihar CM.
Also Read | Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill-2025 after lengthy deliberations in Rajya Sabha.
Ansari said the Waqf Bill was "against Indian Muslims" and could not be accepted "under any circumstances."
"This bill violates many fundamental rights of the Constitution. Through this bill, Indian Muslims are being humiliated and insulted... Neither you nor your party realises this. I regret that I gave many years of my life to the party," he wrote.
Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh defended the bill in the Lok Sabha. He said the bill will bring transparency and ensure the welfare of all sections of the Muslim community. He said efforts had been made to portray the bill as "anti-Muslim" but rejected this claim.
"Waqf is a sort of trust which is formed to work in the interest of Muslims. This is not a religious organisation... The trust has the right to do justice to all sections of Muslims, but that is not happening... Today, a narrative is being made. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being criticised. If you do not like him, then do not look at him. But appreciate his good work," Singh said.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, "This is the beginning of such things... JDU leader who has resigned from the party shows that it is a betrayal to the people and the Constitution; it will happen to the TDP and NCP because they have betrayed their voters..."