JD(U) rumblings over Waqf grow louder as 5 Muslim faces quit; party unfazed

The JD(U) is trying to highlight that no prominent Muslim leader of the party has resigned over the Waqf Bill so far, even though party general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi and party MLC Ghulam Gous have registered their strong protest over its support to the Bill.

Among those who resigned from the party Friday included the JD(U) minority cell’s state secretary Mohammed Shahnawaz Mallik, minority cell state general secretary Mohammed Tabrez Siddiqui, West Champaran vice-president Nadeem Akhtar and Bhojpur JD (U) leader Dilshaan Rayeen. On Thursday, East Champaran JD (U) leader Mohammed Qasim Ansari had quit the party.

Tabrez Siddiqui told reporters after his resignation: “Minority’s interest is not being protected by JD (U) any longer. The party did not put pressure on BJP to incorporate some important changes in the Waqf Bill as TDP did”.

Shahnawaz Mallik echoed Tabrez’s sentiments, saying he has been “answerable” to the Muslim community and has chosen to resign.

A senior JD(U) leader from the Muslim community, on condition of anonymity, said: “As we read the Bill and get to know the contentious parts, there could be more protests. The very fact that the Waqf law has been drastically amended — that is good enough reason for protests”.

With Bihar heading for the Assembly elections in October-November this year, there are apprehensions within the JD(U) that more Muslim faces may quit the party and that there could be a further erosion of its base among the Muslim community, which has largely been supporting the Opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance of the RJD and the Congress for several years.

JD (U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, however, said: “Our party is known for having done a lot for education and health of Muslims. The state government’s Budget has gone up from Rs 3.5 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 1,000 crore in 2025-26 for the community. So far, no prominent Muslim leader has quit. The Bill has accommodated some of our views.”

The Waqf Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this week following heated, marathon debates that went past midnight in both the Houses.

The Bihar JD(U)’s minority cell held a press conference in Patna Saturday to defend the party’s stand over the Waqf row. Its leader Anjum Ara said: “Canards are being spread among the minority community by the Opposition. We had given five suggestions for Waqf Bill. All of them including land being a state subject, law getting enforced with prospective effect and any dispute getting resolved by an officer above the district magistrate’s rank, were duly incorporated. Minority interest is duly protected by our leader Nitish Kumar.”