Fri Apr 04 17:17:11 UTC 2025: ## Four More Muslim Leaders Quit Janata Dal (United) Over Waqf Bill Support

**Patna, April 4, 2025** – Four senior Muslim leaders of the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) resigned from the party on Friday, following the party’s support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. This brings the total number of resignations to five, after Mohammad Kasim Ansari resigned on Thursday.

The departing leaders, including state secretary of the minority cell Mohammad Shahnawaz Mallik and state general secretary Mohammad Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, cited the party’s support for the bill as a betrayal of the Muslim community, which has been a key supporter of the JD(U) for nearly two decades. In their resignation letters addressed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, they expressed concern that the bill’s passage would negatively impact the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Mr. Alig’s letter particularly criticized JD(U) Lok Sabha member Lalan Singh’s support for the bill, stating that it undermines the constitutional rights of Indian Muslims. He described the party’s decision as a deviation from its core principles of secularism and social justice.

JD(U) MLC Ghulam Gaus echoed these sentiments, calling the bill unconstitutional and urging President Droupadi Murmu to repeal it. He highlighted the bill’s conflict with Articles 14 and 26 of the Indian Constitution, guaranteeing equality before the law and freedom to manage religious affairs, respectively.

However, former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha countered these claims, asserting that the bill would benefit Muslims, particularly the weaker sections.

Responding to the resignations, Mr. Singh dismissed the resigning leaders, citing one’s poor electoral performance in the 2020 elections. He also directed criticism towards the RJD, referencing a 2010 speech by Lalu Prasad Yadav. The resignations highlight a growing rift within the JD(U) over its stance on the controversial Waqf Bill.

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