JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Monday spoke out against his party for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the Lok Sabha, saying that he is “disappointed” with his party’s decision as the CAB, discriminates against people “on the basis of religion.”

Late on Monday night, when the Bill was put to vote and cleared by the Lok Sabha with 311 votes, Kishor tweeted, “Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion. It’s incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.”

Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion.

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It’s incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 9, 2019

JD(U) headed by Bihar Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar supported the CAB in Parliament. JDU MP Rajeev Ranjan Singh said in the Lok Sabha that his party will support the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill because it promises Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan and is “not against secularism”.

Surprising move by the JD(U) to support the CAB as till recently, the party has shown opposition to the NRC and the CAB saying that both the proposals are against Muslims and could cause protests in the north-east.

Last month as well Kishor had tweeted on NRC. Taking a swipe at BJP he said, “15 plus states with more than 55% of India’s population have non-BJP Chief Ministers. Wonder how many of them are consulted and are on-board for NRC in their respective states!!”

15 plus states with more than 55% of India’s population have non-BJP Chief Ministers. Wonder how many of them are consulted and are on-board for NRC in their respective states!!

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) November 20, 2019

The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours.

The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it, will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod.

According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.