CAA discriminatory when combined with NRC: Kishor

Patna: Amid brewing discontent within the JD(U) over the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Saturday met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna.

Prashant Kishor who has been facing criticism from leaders of the JD(U) for raising questions on the party’s decision to support the CAB in the Parliament said that he has clarified his position before chief minister Nitish Kumar on the issue.

“I have clarified my position on the issue of CAB and also informed the chief minister about my stand. The JD(U) has not been in favour of NRC. There is no problem with the Citizen Amendment Act, but it becomes discriminatory when combined with NRC”, Poll strategist and JD(U) leader Prashant Kishore said after meeting chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Earlier in a tweet, he had made a similar argument and said that the new citizenship act and NRC could prove to be a “lethal combo” against the minority.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of senior JD(U) leaders like RCP Singh speaking openly against Prashant Kishor after he defied party’s official stand on the issue of CAB earlier this week.

JD(U) general secretary RCP Singh while reacting to Prashant Kishor’s latest tweet in which he urged the non-BJP chief minister’s not to implement the act in their states, had said, “Leaders who opposed the bill have been kept in the party on compassionate grounds. They are free to choose their own path if they are not comfortable with the party’s policies”.

Prashant Kishor in his tweet on Friday had said, “The majority prevailed in the Parliament. Now beyond judiciary, the task of saving the soul of India is on 16 non- BJP chief ministers as it is the states that have to operationalize these acts. Three CMs (Punjab, Kerala, and West Bengal) have said no to CAB and NRC. Time for others to make their stand clear”.

In a tweet on Wednesday after the JD(U) announced its support to the CAB in Rajya Sabha he wrote, “While supporting the JD(U) leadership should spare a moment for all those who reposed their faith 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”.

Besides Mr. Kishor, another prominent JD(U) leader to oppose party’s stand on the issue of CAB is Pavan Verma. In a tweet, he had urged Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to reconsider the decision to support the CAB in the Parliament.