Tejashwi's election vow: Will junk new Waqf law

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will scrap the contentious Waqf Amendment Act in Bihar if voted to power in the state, the opposition combine’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav said on Sunday, as he accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties of fanning communal tensions.

- Aditya Nath Jha

The senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader addressed a string of public rallies in Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria, three of the four districts that comprise the Seemanchal sub-region, which has a significant Muslim population.

He also promised that allowances of the representatives of Bihar’s panchayati raj system will be doubled if the INDIA bloc wins the elections on November 14. He also announced an insurance cover of 50 lakh and pension for them.

Yadav accused Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar of divisive politics.

"Nitish Kumar has always supported such forces, and it is because of him that the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and its affiliates are spreading communal hatred in the state as well as in the country. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) should be called the 'Bharat Jalao Party'. If the INDIA bloc comes to power in the state, we will throw the Waqf Act into the dustbin," he said during a rally at Alta Haat in Kishanganj district.

BJP leaders accused the INDIA bloc of making fake promises, as others pointed out that the state government had no role in overturning an act of Parliament.