PATNA: The list of Muslim leaders resigning from the Janata Dal (United) in protest against the party’s support to the Centre’s Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament is growing steadily. On Saturday, Afridi Rehman, the state general secretary of JD(U)’s minority cell, resigned from both the party and his organisational post.Afridi told media persons that he had stepped down from JD(U)’s primary membership and the post of state general secretary in the minority cell following the party’s support to the Waqf Amendment Bill. His supporters also raised slogans against the JD(U)’s stance on the Bill, calling it “anti-Muslim”.In his resignation letter sent to JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar and state unit chief Umesh Kushwaha, Afridi said he was deeply hurt by the party’s support to the Bill in Parliament.Dr Kasim, district spokesperson of JD(U)’s medical unit in Muzaffarpur, also resigned from the party’s primary membership to express solidarity with other Muslim leaders. JD(U)’s medical cell president Dr Rajesh Patel said Dr Kasim was appointed as district spokesperson on 15 October 2023, but had been removed from the post on 10 May 2024 due to “anti-party activities”. Dr Patel claimed, “Dr Kasim’s resignation will not affect the party as he had already been removed from the primary membership.”Dr Kasim had unsuccessfully contested the 2020 state assembly election from the Dhaka seat in East Champaran district, securing only 499 votes from over 3.21 lakh voters.
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