A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Lucknow that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would stay despite protests, Prashant Kishor, leader of BJP’s partner JD(U), on Wednesday asked Mr. Shah, “Why don’t you go ahead and implement the CAA and NRC [National Register of Citizens] in chronology”?
The national vice-president of the JD(U) tweeted, “Being dismissive of citizens’ dissent couldn’t be the sign of strength of any Govt. @amitshah Ji, if you don’t care for those protesting against #CAA_NRC, why don’t you go ahead and try implementing the CAA & NRC in the chronology that you so audaciously announced to the nation!”.
Of late, Mr. Kishor, who is also a poll strategist, has been urging his party leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other non-BJP State governments to oppose the CAA and the NRC.
At a public rally in Lucknow, Mr. Shah asserted that the CAA would not be withdrawn despite the ongoing protests. “Today I’ve come to Lucknow to say that whoever wants to protest can protest but the CAA won’t be taken back”, he said. “If any clause of the CAA takes away the citizenship of anyone, including Muslims, they can tell me. The agitations and sit-ins against it are wrong.”
Varma seeks “ideological clarity”
On Tuesday, another JD(U) leader Pawan Varma, in a letter to Mr. Kumar, asked for “ideological clarity” on JD(U)’s electoral alliance with the BJP beyond Bihar.
Both Mr. Kishor and Mr. Varma have recently been taking on Mr. Kumar on the the CAA, NRC, NPR and other issues.
State JD(U) leaders refused to make any comment on Mr. Kishor and Mr. Varma’s regular attacks on the party chief, but State president of the party Basistha Narayan Singh told journalists that he would speak to Mr. Kumar on this issue and request him to take action.
State BJP leaders told The Hindu that both the leaders were “headaches” of the JD(U) and not of the BJP.
Senior State Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra said, “both the leaders are now showing a mirror to Nitish Kumar who, otherwise, is known for making turnarounds for his political survival.
Sources in JD(U) told The Hindu that Mr. Kumar may take action against both the leaders after January 28 when he would be meeting all party leaders at his official residence, 1, Anne Marg.
