 "Prashant Kishor")
Political strategist and JD(U) vice-president Prashant Kishor on Tuesday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for joining the "movement" against the amended citizenship law and the proposed country-wide implementation of NRC.
Kishor, however, stressed the need for measures "beyond public protests" and sought an "official" announcement by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that there will be no National Register of Citizens (NRC) in states ruled by her party.
"Thanks @rahulgandhi for joining citizens' movement against #CAA_NRC. But as you know beyond public protests we also need states to say NO to #NRC to stop it. We hope you will impress upon the CP to OFFICIALLY announce that there will be #No_NRC in the #Congress ruled states" Kishor tweeted.
He was, however, trolled by a section of Congress supporters, who sought to draw his attention towards statements issued by several Congress chief ministers, contending that NRC will not be implemented in their states.
The poll strategist-turned-politician had worked with the Congress in his professional capacity during 2017 assembly polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Many supporters also took potshots at the JD(U) for coming out against NRC, despite having supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill - seen as a precursor to the NRC exercise - in Parliament recently.
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Kishor - who had become a full-time member of the JD(U) a year back - responded with another tweet, "Rather than trying to inform me what Congress CMs have said please share the OFFICIAL statement of the Congress President announcing that there will NO NRC in Congress-ruled states. I am sorry voting against CAB didn't stop it, states saying NO to NRC will. So don't get confused".
Incidentally, Kishor had faced the ire of many of his party colleagues when he openly expressed disappointment with JD(U)'s stance on citizenship law.
His detractors in the party were, however, silenced after he met Nitish Kumar last week and declared that he has been asked by the Bihar chief minister - who is also the party's national president - not to pay heed to criticisms.
Kishor made it clear that he did not see much of a problem with CAA "per se" but viewed it as troublesome in combination with the NRC.
Later, the party's stand on NRC became evidently clear when Kumar dismissed queries about its implementation in Bihar with a flourish earlier this week, saying "Kaahe ka NRC laagu hoga. Bilkul laagu nahin hoga" (what is the need for NRC. It will not be implemented at all).
Kumar, who has been running a coalition government with the BJP in Bihar for more than a decade, has managed to remain popular with the state's Muslims despite his alliance with the saffron party.
The party's recent move on the citizenship law has however provided the opposition in the state fodder to attack Kumar ahead of the assembly elections, scheduled next year.
The state witnessed two bandhs last week - one called by the main opposition RJD and the other by Left parties - in protest against CAA and NRC.
