In a significant development ahead of the Assembly polls in Bihar later this year, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced that the National Register of Citizens would not be implemented in Bihar. Nitish also said that there should be a debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the Bihar Assembly, if all parties agree.
Nitish's JD(U), a constituent of the NDA, had supported the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in both houses of Parliament in December, triggering discomfort among some party leaders.
Notable among them has been JD(U) vice-president and political strategist Prashant Kishor. Kishor had termed the Citizenship Act as being discriminatory. Kishor had said, "When you link CAA with NRC, it becomes discriminatory not only on the basis of religion but also on the basis of class."
When asked by journalists on his views on a nationwide NRC on Monday, Nitish Kumar said it will not be implemented at all, noting it "was needless and had no justification". Nitish argued the NRC had been envisaged for Assam and not on a nationwide basis. Nitish added Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken about the NRC not happening.
Nitish Kumar's response to the NRC and CAA came amid demands by the opposition parties that had wanted a special session of the Assembly to be convened.
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Nitish's announcement on Monday comes amid continuing statements by Kishor against the CAA and NRC. On Sunday, Kishor had thanked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for a "formal and unequivocal" rejection of the NRC. The BJP was displeased by Kishor's statement, noting "Some over-intelligent and super-knowledgeable people are creating propaganda on NRC."
Interestingly, the statement by Nitish also follows news of a potential rethink in the opposition on reaching out to the JD(U). Last week, Jitan Ram Manjhi, the leader of HAMS, had on Friday argued the grand alliance, led by the RJD, should not be averse to joining with Nitish or anyone else in the fight against the BJP. Manjhi was a former member of the JD(U) who had served as chief minister when Nitish resigned after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The JD(U), RJD and Congress had formed an alliance in 2015 and won the Assembly polls that year. However, Nitish broke off the alliance in 2017 and rejoined the NDA, continuing in power with BJP support.