Patna witnessed large-scale protests on Wednesday as opposition voices gathered to demonstrate against the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) led the demonstration at Gardanibagh, the city’s well-known protest center.
In a show of political support, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav showed up at the site with his father Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal president, who remains a towering figure in Bihar politics despite his failing health.
Addressing the crowd, Tejashwi condemned the proposed legislation as “undemocratic and unconstitutional.” He reiterated the RJD’s commitment to opposing the Bill at every level, reminding attendees that his party had already raised objections during the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s visit to Bihar.
Tejaswi vowed that the fight would continue until the government withdrew what he termed a “Nagpuriya” law — a pointed reference to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and, by extension, the BJP’s influence over the Bill.
A short distance away, RJD legislators and its Left allies held a separate protest on the grounds of the Bihar Assembly. Waving the national flag and holding placards denouncing the Bill, they disrupted proceedings and forced the Speaker to adjourn the House until 2 p.m.
The AIMPLB, which has been loud in its condemnation of the Bill, has declared plans to take protests to other states, including Andhra Pradesh.
The group aims to pressurize Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — often viewed as secular-leaning — to take a clear stand against the legislation.
Tejashwi, in a veiled assault on Nitish Kumar, remarked that certain leaders were supporting the Bill in order to maintain power. He was proud of his father’s legacy, noting that Lalu Prasad made an effort to attend the protest despite having undergone crucial surgery.
Many saw Lalu’s presence at the demonstration as a symbol of his long-standing relationship with the minority community, which began in the 1990s when he ordered the arrest of BJP stalwart L.K. Advani at the height of the Ayodhya movement while maintaining relative communal peace in Bihar.
The rallies in Patna mirror the widening political divide over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, as opposition parties and civil society organizations prepare for a long battle against what they regard as an attack on minority rights and constitutional values.
