RJD bandh unnecessary as Nitish Kumar is against NRC in Bihar: JDU

Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday said that the bandh called by Rashtriya Janata Dal is useless as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reiterated that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented in Bihar.

"Why should there be a bandh called by RJD when honourable Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said the NRC would not be implemented in Bihar. The left parties called for a bandh on December 19. People of Bihar have not forgotten the anarchy during the regime of RJD between 1990-2005. The right of peaceful protest is prevalent in democracy but during the bandh, the RJD will try to disrupt public order as that is their habit," Singh told ANI here.

RJD leader Bhai Virendra said that JDU cannot adopt a dual policy as on one hand it supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Parliament, on the one hand, it opposes NRC.

"There will be a peaceful bandh by RJD in the state today. People are voluntarily participating in the protest. There is no issue left with the JDU. They are sitting in the lap of BJP and RSS. They cannot have a dual policy where on the one hand they will support CAA in the parliament and oppose NRC on the other," he said.

"We welcome the stand of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan's statement on CAA and NRC. We will not let the BJP and RSS divide the nation," he added.

LJP Chief Chirag Paswan had earlier said that the government should make efforts to make people understand the difference between CAA and NRC as the government is unable to dispel the misgivings among an important section of the society.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced that the National Register of Citizens will not be implemented in the state.

On being asked by media about his government's stand on NRC, Kumar said, "What NRC? It will not be implemented in Bihar.