Prashant Kishor slams his own party over issue

Patna: Poll strategist and JD(U) vice president Prashant Kishor has expressed strong resentment against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), which was supported by his party in the Lok Sabha.

In a hard-hitting tweet late Monday night, Mr Kishor said that he was “disappointed to see the JD(U) supporting the CAB, which discriminates the right of citizenship on the basis of religion. “It’s incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals,” he tweeted.

Last month, after home minister Amit Shah claimed in the Rajya Sabha that the NRC process would be carried out across the country, Mr Kishor had voiced his opposition and said, “Fifteen plus states with more than 55 per cent of India’s population have non-BJP ministers. Won-der how many of them are consulted and are onboard for the NRC in their respective states.”

His statement was earlier taken as the JD(U)’s official line. However, political analysts now feel that his statement could create trouble for the party, which has been working hard to retain power in 2020.

A section in the party, including Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U)’s national spokesperson Pavan Va-rma, has also come out against his party and echoed similar views on the issue. He has urged the party’s national president Nitish Kumar to reconsider the decision to support the bill, which is yet to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

“I urge Mr Kumar to reconsider support to CAB in the Rajya Sabha. The bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory and against the unity and harmony of the country, apart from being against the secular principles of the JD(U),” he tweeted.