Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday asserted that the ruling NDA in Bihar was nearing its end and said that the upcoming Mahagathbandhan-led government would repeal the Waqf Act introduced by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
Speaking at the 'Save Waqf, Save Constitution' rally held at the historic Gandhi Maidan, Yadav was joined by leaders from various political parties, many of whom wore black bands in protest.
The former deputy chief minister, currently serving as the leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, stated, "Our national president Lalu Prasad has made it clear that the RJD will oppose this law tooth and nail. Our MPs opposed it in both Houses of Parliament. We have also moved the court against the legislation."
Yadav, who is set to spearhead the INDIA bloc’s campaign in the upcoming assembly elections, added, "I would also ask my Muslim brethren in Bihar to remember that the NDA government is on its way out. In November, a new pro-poor government will be installed in the state and it will consign the Waqf Act to the dustbin."
He also addressed the BJP, which governs at the Centre and shares power in the state, reminding them that "Independence was won by the virtue of sacrifices made by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians alike and nobody should behave as if the country is his father's property (kisi ke baap ka desh nahin hai)."
Yadav also told the well-attended rally "Be on your guard against the Election Commission's bid to help the BJP by holding a special intensive revision of the voters' list. We have to fight it out and thwart any conspiracy to deprive people of their right to vote".
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid, present at the event, spoke to reporters on the sidelines. "This programme is aimed at saving Waqf, democracy and the pluralistic character and culture of the country," he said, recalling fond memories of his childhood in Patna when his grandfather, the late Zakir Hussain, served as Bihar’s governor.
Among other Congress representatives at the rally were Rajya Sabha MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Syed Nasir Hussain. Pratapgarhi, also known for his poetry, was given a rousing welcome by an enthusiastic crowd—especially the youth—as he arrived in an open vehicle with a black band wrapped around his head.
Speakers also included Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, who is known to have ties with the Congress, and Akhtarul Iman, MLA and Bihar unit chief of AIMIM, which is headed by Asaduddin Owaisi of Hyderabad.
(inputs from PTI)