Talaq, Ayodhya must be kept out of alliance agenda: Nitish Kumar

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that the JD(U) will stick to its earlier stand on the issue of Ayodhya and triple talaq.

Mr Kumar, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, said that his party doesn’t approve the Centre’s stand on triple talaq and that government should interact with people of the Muslim community on the issue.

“Triple talaq has been a tradition and a larger section in the particular community feels that something is being imposed without their consent. Issues related to religion should be handled in a sensitive manner,” chief minister Nitish Kumar said.

The JD(U) has also been expressing its disapproval on the Ayodhya issue. Mr Kumar while speaking on the issue said, “Our party feels that the issue should be resolved either by mutual consent or through judicial process.”

JD(U) leaders said that the party has always maintained that issues like Ayodhya and triple talaq should be kept out of the coalition agenda. Earlier, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said that his party was not in favour of the ordinance on the issue of Ayodhya.

The JD(U), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, is running a government with the BJP in Bihar. Both the parties have decided to contest 17 seats each in Bihar. The JD(U)’s statement on the issue may cause some uneasiness as few BJP leaders have been trying to draw consensus on the issue.

However, JD(U) insiders said that the difference of opinion on the issue will not hurt the alliance.

Mr Kumar also said that the “Mahagathbandhan lacks confidence” and “NDA will win on the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

“All of us are confident that Narendra Modi will become Prime Minister again after the 2019 general elections”, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.