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CAA-NRC an attempt to divide Hindus, Muslims: JD(U) leader Pavan Varma tells Nitish Kumar
JD U) general secretary Pavan Varma has requested Nitish Kumar to “categorically reject the CAA-NPR-NRC divisive scheme”.
The uneasy relationship between alliance partners BJP and the JD (U) in Bihar took another hit Sunday after the latter’s national general secretary Pavan Varma wrote to party president and chief minister Nitish Kumar against the “unilateral announcement” by deputy CM Sushil Modi that the National Population Register (NPR) will be implemented in Bihar in May 2020.
The former diplomat said the CAA-NPR-NRC scheme was divisive.
“The CAA-NRC combine is a direct attempt to divide Hindus and Muslims, and to create social instability. Besides, it will impose great hardships on Indians as a whole, including especially the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable belonging to all communities,” Varma wrote in his letter.
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“I am greatly surprised that Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi has unilaterally announced that the NPR will be carried out in Bihar between May 15 and May 28 2020. As you are aware, the government has categorically stated that the NPR is the first step to implementing the NRC. Since you have said that Bihar will not have the NRC, it follows that you must say no to the revised NPR as well.”
On Saturday, Modi had announced that Bihar will launch a data collection drive for the National Population Register (NPR) on May 15 and the exercise will conclude on May 28.
Ahead of Varma flagging Modi’s announcement of the NPR exercise, another JD (U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan had said the JD (U) doesn’t have a problem with the NPR exercise in Bihar.
“All states have given their consent for NPR after its gazette notification in August. Bihar is one of them. Moreover when Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that NPR data won’t be used for the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the JD (U) doesn’t have any problem,” said Ranjan.
The relationship between the BJP and the JD (U) has been edgy for some time now. While both parties have been trying to show a united front, the fissures showed up once again on December 25, a day after Jharkhand assembly election results which the saffron party lost. A few BJP leaders had once again demand a “change in face” for the NDA in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections later this year.
In October, BJP national president and Union home minister Amit Shah had made it clear that his party would contest the 2020 Bihar assembly elections in alliance with the JD (U) and under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. But that hasn’t stopped other BJP leaders from sniping at Kumar.
