Katihar: If the INDIA bloc is voted to power in Bihar, the Waqf (Amendment) Act would be “thrown into the dustbin,” opposition coalition CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav declared on Sunday.
Addressing a public rally in the Muslim-majority Katihar district, Yadav invoked his father, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, saying he “never compromised with communal forces in the country.” He contrasted this with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of supporting such forces and allowing the RSS and its affiliates to spread communal hatred in the state and across India. “The BJP should be called the ‘Bharat Jalao Party.’ If the INDIA bloc comes to power, we will throw the Waqf Act into the dustbin,” Yadav said.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, passed by Parliament in April, has been described by the ruling BJP-led NDA as a step to promote transparency and empower backward Muslims and women in the community. However, the opposition claims it infringes on Muslim rights. The controversy intensified after RJD MLC Mohammad Qari Sohaib remarked that if Yadav becomes Bihar CM, “all bills will be torn apart, including the Waqf bill,” drawing criticism from opponents who questioned how a state CM could nullify a central law.
Yadav also criticized the 20-year-long Nitish Kumar government, alleging rampant corruption, collapsed law and order, and neglect of development, especially in the Seemanchal region. “The CM is not in his senses. Corruption is rampant in every department, and the law and order situation has completely collapsed,” he said.
Promising regional development, Yadav pledged to constitute the Seemanchal Development Authority to promote growth in the region comprising Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj, and Katihar, which has a significant Muslim population.
He also accused the NDA of copying his election promises. “We promised an increase in the old-age pension. The Nitish Kumar government raised it from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month. I promise we will increase it to Rs 2,000 per month,” Yadav said, highlighting his commitment to welfare measures.
With PTI inputs