Bihar CM Nitish Kumar meets minority delegation amid protests against CAA

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday met the delegation of the minority community led by Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Ashok Chaudhary in Patna. This meeting was held in the wake of the protests taking place against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) across Bihar.

The Chief Minister assured the minority group that his government would not only protect their interests in the state but will also make efforts to uplift them. He also assured that the Bihar government will protect their Constitutional rights.

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'No NRC in Bihar'

Earlier on Friday, Nitish Kumar asserted that National Register for Citizens will not be implemented in the state, putting to rest speculations raised by the JD(U)’s support to the Citizenship Amendment Act. Kumar made this clear in a terse reply to queries from journalists who had sought his response on the proposed country-wide implementation of NRC, including Bihar, as stated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of the Parliament. It should be noted that JDU had supported the Central government with the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament.

"Kaahe ka NRC? Bilkul laagu nahin hoga (NRC, what for? Will not at all be implemented),” Kumar quipped as he sauntered towards his vehicle, waving at the media persons who had been waiting outside an auditorium in Patna seeking to know the stand of the Chief Minister who was at the venue to address the 80th annual session of Indian Road Congress.

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Notably, Kumar is the first chief minister from the NDA camp to have voiced disapproval of the proposed move to have an all India NRC which has triggered country-wide tension and protests. Kumar is heading a coalition government with the BJP in Bihar. His party voted in favour of the legislation in parliament.

Anti-CAA protests

Protests have intensified in various parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which was enacted into law on December 12, 2019. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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(with ANI inputs)