Chinks in JDU: Prashant Kishor opposes Nitish Kumar's stand on Citizenship Amendment Bill

Janata Dal (United) Vice President Prashant Kishor has raised a voice of revolt against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for the JDU's support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament on Monday. Kishor has expressed his disappointment over the Bill granting India citizenship to immigrants from neighbouring countries on the basis of religion. In a tweet ahead of the vote in Lok Sabha over the bill, Kishor slammed the JDU for toeing a line against secularism and Gandhian ideals. The lower house passed the CAB with 311 votes in favour while just 80 votes against.

READ | After 12-hr Debate, Lok Sabha Passes Citizenship Amendment Bill With 311 'Ayes', 80 'Noes'

Prashant Kishor while speaking to Republic TV attacked Nitish Kumar saying, "Gandhian ideology and support for Citizenship amendment bill cannot go together. One has to leave, either of the two." JDU parliamentary party leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh while supporting the bill in Parliament, stated:

"We support this bill. This bill should not be seen in the light of the majority or minority living in the country. This bill is in favour of secularism. This bill is for those people who were citizens of this country before its partition into Bharat and Pakistan. We always read reports about the persecution of people of minority communities in Pakistan. No one can deny the fact that people of minority communities in Pakistan be it Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhist, Christians or Parsis face different types of atrocities. They are forced to change their religion and if persecuted minorities of Pakistan are given Indian citizenship then it's the right thing."

RJD targets Nitish over CAB

READ | PM Modi Lauds Amit Shah After Lok Sabha Passes Citizenship Amendment Bill

Revolt, not the first time

This isn't the first time Kishor, who is the chief campaign strategist of the JDU, has opposed the party's line. Earlier as well he had questioned Nitish Kumar's move to join hands with the BJP in 2017 from a public platform. After this statement, the relationship between Kishor and Nitish Kumar got strained for a while.

JDU spokesperson and Bihar Minister Neeraj Kumar while speaking to Republic TV said that "JDU believes in secularism and Gandhian ideology. India was divided on the basis of religion into two parts – India and Pakistan – and Gandhiji consented to it. The party has made its views clear on the citizenship amendment bill in Parliament. It is Prashant Kishor's personal view (to oppose it)". Kishor is working for CM Mamta Banerjee in Bengal where the stakes are too high for him as TMC is up against the BJP on the NRC and CAB.

READ | Manoj Tiwari Talks About CAB Being Approved For Tabling At The Lok Sabha

Nitish Kumar cautious over NRC, CAB ahead of state polls

At the same time, Nitish Kumar, who faces an election for the Bihar Vidhan Sabha in 2020, is cautious in his approach of not falling into the trap of BJP by opposing the NRC and CAB fearing the NDA ally will seize the opportunity to polarize voters on communal lines. In 2013, JDU parted ways with BJP and tasted defeat in the general election the following year forcing Kumar to align with RJD and Congress to win power in Bihar in 2015. By supporting the BJP on NRC and CAB, JDU wants to enhance its bargaining power in terms of more seats and play the role of big brother in the next year's Assembly polls. Nitish Kumar wants to contest at least 20 seats more than the BJP.

READ | CAB Decoded: What's The Furore Over The Citizenship Amendment Bill About?