New Delhi, December 11: Janata Dal (United) vice president Prashant Kishor on Wednesday once against cautioned his party's top brass against supporting the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019. Prashant Kishor, in a tweet, said that the JD(U) leadership must think about those who contributed to its electoral victory in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections, based on which, he added, the party has electoral leverage.
"While supporting #CAB, the JDU leadership should spare a moment for all those who reposed their faith and trust in it in 2015. We must not forget that but for the victory of 2015, the party and its managers wouldn’t have been left with much to cut any deal with anyone," Kishor tweeted. The election strategist-turn-politician has been voicing his concerns over JD(U)'s move to back the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019: What Fundamental Rights Article 14, 15 Guarantee And Arguments in Favour of & Against CAB.
Prashant Kishor's Tweet Against CAB:
While supporting #CAB, the JDU leadership should spare a moment for all those who reposed their faith and trust in it in 2015.
We must not forget that but for the victory of 2015, the party and its managers wouldn’t have been left with much to cut any deal with anyone.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 11, 2019
Kishor expressed disappointment after the JD(U) supported the contentious legislation in Lok Sabha. "Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion. It's incongruous with the party's constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals," he had tweeted. Kishor's views were echoed by JD(U) general secretary Pawan Verma.
Prashant Kishor's Tweet Against CAB:
Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion.
It's incongruous with the party's constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 9, 2019
"I have urged our National President Nitish Kumar to reconsider the party's stand. This Bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory and against the spirit of secularism, unity and harmony of our country," Pawan Verma told news agency ANI on Tuesday. JD(U) MP Rajeev Ranjan Singh said that his party will support the CAB because it promises Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The legislation is criticised for leaving out Muslim immigrants.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 11, 2019 06:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).