'Nitishji Doesn't Need A Certificate For His Secular Politics'

'Muslims in Bihar under Nitishji's rule are safest than anywhere else.'

Bihar Minister of Minority Welfare Mohammed Zama Khan is the only Muslim face in the state government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Khan has emerged as Nitish Kumar's defender after prominent Muslim organisations boycotted an Iftar party he hosted to protest against the Janata Dal-United's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament.

Khan is the Muslim face of Kumar's JD-U, which is widely seen as a secular party despite joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar as well as at the Centre.

Muslims constitute about 17.7 percent of Bihar's population and are considered traditional supporters of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the party founded by Lalu Prasad, but roughly 25 to 30 percent of Muslims reportedly supported the JD-U in consecutive elections because of Nitish Kumar's presence at its helm.

In Bihar's caste-dominant politics, Muslim support can make or mar the final electoral outcome.

Khan, who is in his early 50s, was the Bahujan Samaj Party's lone winner in the 2020 Bihar assembly election He joined the JD-U in 2021 and was inducted as a minister in Kumar's government.

"The party will reach out to Muslims to expose the conspiracy against Nitishji and hope that the JD-U will get the support and vote of Muslims like previous elections," Khan tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor M I Khan.

Months ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly elections, Muslims seem angry and unhappy with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024. What is your party, the JD-U, doing to pacify them?

It has been wrongly projected that Muslims are angry and unhappy with Nitishji. Muslims are with us. Our party and leader Nitishji, who is the number one secular leader in the country, enjoy the support of an overwhelming number of Muslims because he has worked for their development. He will never do anything to harm the interests of the Muslim community or any community.

Nitishji always stands with us and for us.

It was Nitish Kumar who played a main role in the formation of a joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. He was at the forefront, our party has repeatedly submitted different documents to the JPC to take a final decision.

Eight Muslim organisations boycotted Nitish Kumar's Iftar party. Reports suggest that fewer Muslims turned up for the CM's Iftar compared to the past.
Is it not a matter of concern for the party, whose traditional support base also consists of a section of Muslims?

There was no base for the boycott of the Iftar because Iftar is not a political issue. This was a conspiracy of the Opposition to defame Nitishji, who is a true socialist and secular leader. We have information that it was a part of a big conspiracy.

Despite the boycott call a large number of fasting Muslims attended the Iftar hosted by Nitishji. The number of Muslims participating was double compared to last year.

The Opposition failed in its attempt to damage the image of Nitishji, who remains Vikash Purush.

Muslims, like others, have benefited by development works like good roads, electricity connectivity, schools, health centres and communal harmony in the state.

Since 2005, when Nitishji became chief minister, he ensured a peaceful state and worked for all. There was never any discrimination against Muslims and his government initiated several measures for the development of the minority.

Muslims in Bihar under Nitishji's rule are safest than anywhere else. There is no fear and they are not scared of anything.

Some question Nitish Kumar's secular credentials for his and your party's support to the Waqf Bill.

Nitishji does not need any certificate for his secular politics. He has been doing it for years and never made a compromise on it.

You claim it is a conspiracy, but Muslim organisations in an open letter to Nitish Kumar strongly criticised him and his party for supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill which, they say, is the BJP's agenda.

I have no such information and not read the letter that you refer to.

Do you think this vocal stand of Muslim organisations over the JD-U's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will harm your party in an election year?

Muslims in Bihar support Nitishji not because of some organisations, it is due to his consistent work and his clean politics. Nitishji always works to strengthen the Constitution and safeguard the rights of all. He is a real democratic leader.

The party will reach out to Muslims to expose the conspiracy against Nitishji and hope that the JD-U will get the support and vote of Muslims like previous elections thanks to our leader Nitishji's popularity.

Is the JD-U likely to change its stand on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in view of the increasing Muslim protest against it?

It is not proper on my part to reply, but yes, discussions has been taking place within the party on it.

Only the party's top leadership -- Nitishji -- will decide about it.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com