JD(U) on Wednesday expelled its vice president Prashant Kishor and general secretary Pavan Varma from the party. JD(U) said their conduct in recent past has made it clear that they don’t want to abide by the party’s discipline, according to PTI.
Both leaders have called out Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his support to the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A JD(U) statement, cited by PTI, said that the two leaders were “acting against party’s decisions as well as its functioning” which amounted to breach of discipline.
Soon after the JD(U) announcement, Kishor thanked Kumar and tweeted, “My best wishes to you to retain the chair of Chief Minister of Bihar”.
What exactly happened?
Kishor has been openly critical of the BJP and the JD(U)’s support of the act. After being questioned on Kishor’s attacks on the BJP, Kumar on Tuesday said that Home Minister Amit Shah played a key role in Kishor’s induction into the JD(U).
“Do you know how he (Prashant Kishor) joined the party? Amit Shah asked me to induct him,” Kumar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Kishor, in a tweet, accused Kumar of lying.
Kishor had also thanked the Congress after the party passed a resolution against the CAA and rejected the act in a “formal and unequivocal” manner. He had also assured the people of Bihar that CAA and NRC will not be implemented in the state.
Pavan Verma is also an open critic of the CAA. He wrote an open letter to Kumar on 21 January, asking him why the JD(U) formed an alliance with the BJP for the Delhi elections, given his own views on the party and the outrage against the CAA-NPR-NRC scheme.
(With PTI inputs)