"What NRC?" Nitish Kumar's Big Hint That Another BJP Ally Differs

Nitish Kumar today gave a big indication that he will not implement the National Register for Citizens (NRC) in Bihar, adding to the troubles of ally BJP as it faces massive nationwide protests against the citizenship law and NRC. "Kahe ka NRC (What NRC)?" - this response to a journalist's question finally revealed the Bihar Chief Minister's mind on the subject.

The comment also confirms what his deputy Prashant Kishor had claimed after a somewhat tense meeting with Nitish Kumar on Saturday, during which the Chief Minister reportedly talked him out of quitting. The poll strategist-turned-Janata Dal United leader had told journalists later that Nitish Kumar had assured him there would be no NRC in Bihar.

Mr Kishor claimed Mr Kumar had told him he had backed the "grant of new citizenship" but later felt the new law, in combination with the NRC, could be "dangerous".

The Chief Minister never said it officially, though he had promised journalists that he would speak in detail on the NRC soon. Sources say public anger against the citizenship law and NRC may have set Mr Kumar thinking.

A section of Mr Kumar's Janata Dal United had also gone public with their annoyance at his sudden change of heart on the citizenship bill after he criticized it in a party forum and in press conferences.

Among them is Prashant Kishor, who posted several tweets critical of his party boss and even offered his resignation from Nitish Kumar's party.

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

Another ally of the BJP, the Akali Dal, had earlier expressed reservation on the NRC and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.  "Akali Dal wants Muslims to be included in the Citizenship Act. We have always talked about the welfare of people of all the religions, not just of the Sikhs," said Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal.

Non-BJP Chief Ministers like Mamata Banerjee have said they will not implement the NRC citizen's register in their state.

Critics fear the NRC can be used to target mostly Muslims. The new citizenship law offers citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The worry is that undocumented Muslims will bear the brunt of the NRC that would require people to produce proof of citizenship.

In Assam, the NRC released in August became controversial as 19 lakh people were left out of the new citizens' list with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date based on the 1985 Assam Accord. The ruling BJP faced resentment within the ranks when many excluded from the list turned out to be Hindus.