The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in Parliament has unleashed a wave of unrest within the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), with five senior leaders resigning by April 5, 2025, in protest of the party’s backing of the legislation. The latest to exit was Nadeem Akhtar, following in the footsteps of Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik, and Mohammed Kasim Ansari, all of whom cited the bill as a betrayal of the party’s secular credentials and an affront to Muslim interests. This internal rift comes at a precarious time for JD(U), just ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, amplifying concerns about the party’s cohesion and electoral prospects. The resignations reflect a growing discontent among leaders who feel Nitish Kumar’s decision to align with the BJP-supported bill undermines the trust of the Muslim community, a key demographic in Bihar’s political landscape. Raju Nayyar, in his resignation letter, expressed profound dismay, labeling the Waqf Amendment Bill a “black law” that oppresses Muslims and declaring his immediate departure from all party roles, signaling a deep fracture within JD(U)’s ranks.
The dissenters have not minced words in their criticism of Nitish Kumar’s leadership and the party’s stance. Tabrez Hasan, addressing the Bihar Chief Minister directly in his resignation letter, accused Kumar of abandoning his long-standing secular image by supporting a bill he believes caters to forces historically opposed to Muslim interests. “I had hoped you would uphold your secular values, but instead, you sided with those who have consistently acted against the interests of Muslims,” Hasan wrote, encapsulating the sentiment of betrayal felt by the departing leaders. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday and the Rajya Sabha on Friday after debates stretching over 12 hours, has polarized opinions sharply. The Narendra Modi government has championed it as a necessary reform, with the Rajya Sabha vote tallying 128 in favor and 95 against, though subject to final correction. However, opposition parties have decried it as unconstitutional and a direct attack on religious freedom, a view echoed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which urged secular parties, including BJP allies like JD(U), to reject it outright. For JD(U), the bill’s passage has thus become a litmus test of its ideological fidelity, exposing fault lines that threaten its unity.
The timing of these resignations could not be worse for JD(U), as Bihar gears up for a fiercely contested assembly election. The party, already navigating a complex alliance with the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), now faces the dual challenge of managing internal dissent and maintaining its voter base, particularly among Muslims who have historically leaned toward Nitish Kumar’s governance model. The state government’s claim that 50% of Waqf land is encroached, coupled with its initiative to map these properties, adds another layer of controversy, potentially fueling further unrest. The resignations signal a broader crisis of confidence in Kumar’s leadership, with critics within the party arguing that supporting the Waqf Amendment Bill alienates a crucial support base at a time when electoral arithmetic is paramount. As the opposition seizes on this discord to paint JD(U) as a compromised partner in the NDA, the party must now scramble to contain the fallout and reassure its cadre and voters alike. With the Bihar elections looming, the Waqf Bill controversy could prove to be a defining moment, testing whether Nitish Kumar can hold his party together amid this storm of dissent or if the resignations mark the beginning of a deeper unraveling.
