Antulay row widens JDU-BJP divide

Of late, there has been a growing discomfiture in the BJP-JDU alliance.

OF LATE, there has been a growing discomfiture in the BJP-JDU alliance. On Tuesday, there was more embarrassment in store for the BJP. After toeing A R Antulay8217;s line over the killing of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, JDU8217;s Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar Ejaz Ali, a Dalit Muslim leader, went a step ahead and demanded that his party should snap ties with the BJP. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had paved Ali8217;s way to the Rajya Sabha with an aim to wean away the minority vote bank from the RJD.

Another JDU MP in the Rajya Sabha, Shivanand Tiwary, who too had backed Antulay, sounded yet another discordant note for the NDA and demanded the removal of acting ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi raising questions over his association with Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Srikant Purohit.

Though senior NDA leaders chose not to attach much importance to these statements, they nevertheless underline the growing tension in the alliance.

Tiwary alleged that Raghuvanshi as ATS chief 8212; before Karkare 8212; had started the probe into the Malegaon blast with the presumption that it was orchestrated by Muslims. He also charged that Raghuvanshi had invited Purohit in 2005 at the ATS headquarters. 8220;Purohit today is in jail for the Malegaon blast. It is surprising that the same officer has been made ATS chief. He should be removed immediately for an impartial probe,8221; Tiwary said.

Ali, who went on with his demand for a judicial probe into the killing of Karkare, said snapping ties with the BJP was in favour of the JDU. The MP termed the nomination of JDU president Sharad Yadav as NDA convener wrong and added that it would harm the JDU. Asked whether he was speaking in individual capacity, Ali said he had communicated his feeling to senior leaders of the party.

8220;I was made an MP to secure Muslim votes. But how will Muslims vote to make Advani the Prime Minister of this country? I have communicated this feeling of my community to senior party leaders. Nitish Kumar is doing good work for the Muslims but he needs to snap ties with the BJP to get Muslims to vote in the Lok Sabha polls,8221; Ali told The Indian Express.

BJP8217;s Rajiv Pratap Rudy refused to take Ali8217;s statement seriously and said the alliance with the JDU was firm. Other NDA leaders, however, said it was part of the JDU8217;s gameplan to garner Muslim votes.

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8220;The Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar cannot survive without the BJP. Therefore, it is nonsensical to demand snapping of ties. Ali is just trying to play to his constituency and it serves the JDU too as it is striving to win over Muslim votes,8221; said a senior JDU leader.