The Janata Dal (United) is heading for a split after Sharad Yadav on Wednesday announced his decision to hold a parallel national executive in Patna on Saturday. Bihar Chief Minister and president of JD(U), Nitish Kumar, has already called a national executive meeting on the same day, to make a formal announcement on the party joining the NDA.
Interestingly, while Yadav has been removed as parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha, Nitish camp has so far has not shown him the door, despite the party expelling 21 rebel leaders including Ali Anwar Ansari, a Rajya Sabha MP.
In a show of strength, Yadav has invited leaders from Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left, to join him on Thursday "to save the composite culture of the country". The event will be attended by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri and others.
Talking to reporters, Yadav said that "composite culture" was the soul of the Constitution, which Yadav alleged was being "tinkered with". He said similar meetings would be held across the country. "The 'sajha virasat bachao sammelan' (save composite culture programme) is not against anybody but in the interest of the country. This is in the interest of 125 crore people of the country," he said. He cited incidents such as the suicide of Rohith Vemula and the disappearance of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, besides suicides of farmers across the country, to suggest that the situation was tough for underprivileged people.
While supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments against violence in the name of faith, Yadav said it was not reflected on the ground and Modi needed to tell his party's governments to follow his dictum. "At present Dalits, tribals, farmers and unemployed youth are not only suffering, but are also not seeing any light after the tunnel now," he said.
Reacting to Yadav's statement, JD(U) Bihar unit president Bashishta Narayan Singh said Opposition parties were making things more difficult for Yadav, who has made no contribution to Bihar politics and has over-estimated himself.
FACTIONS CALL MEET
- Sharad Yadav has called a meeting of the national executive party on Saturday.
- Nitish has already announced a meet on the day to announce ‘NDA plans’.
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