Married Into Christian Family, Don't Believe In Religious And Caste Divides: Tejashwi Yadav
He also addressed concerns over proposed changes to Waqf laws and unemployment, criticising the Modi government for divisive policies.
Stressing about secular credentials, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asserted on Thursday that he does not believe in religious or caste divisions, highlighting his marriage to a Christian woman.
"I don't believe in religious and caste divides. We believe in Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb," Tejashwi Yadav said, NDTV reported.
Tejashwi Yadav, who is set to lead the RJD’s campaign in the upcoming elections later this year, aims to bring his father Lalu Prasad Yadav’s party back to power while solidifying his position as a key opposition leader. Highlighting his inclusive stance, he recently wore both a skull cap and a tilak at an 'Iftar' gathering.
In an extensive conversation with NDTV, the Bihar leader also addressed the proposed changes to Waqf laws, which regulate Muslim charitable properties in India. The central government initially suggested 44 amendments, including appointing non-Muslim members to Waqf boards and restricting donations to practicing community members.
These proposals sparked strong protests from the opposition, including Yadav's RJD. Following intense protests, a joint parliamentary committee reduced the amendments to 23, and last month, the Union Cabinet approved 14 of them.
"The Waqf board bill is unconstitutional... it is targeted against the minority community", Yadav said. In addition, he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve unemployment issues affecting Bihar and the rest of the country. "Instead, he is working to divide society," he further added.
RJD-Congress Alliance Will Continue: Tejashwi Yadav
Underscoring other contentious laws proposed by the Modi-led government, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, he also said, "They always bring laws to instigate division in the society." "But the people of Bihar are very smart... they understand these designs," he said.
When asked about the future of the RJD-Congress alliance, which is set to contest the upcoming elections together, Tejashwi Yadav affirmed that the partnership would continue, despite the current lack of clarity on who will be the coalition’s chief ministerial candidate.
In the previous election, the RJD emerged as the largest party, winning 75 out of 235 seats. However, the Congress secured only 19 seats—eight fewer than before—leaving the mahagathbandhan alliance short of the 122-seat majority. The BJP won 74 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s JDU secured 43.
Despite having fewer seats, Nitish Kumar retained his position as Chief Minister, first with the mahagathbandhan and later with the BJP, after switching alliances in January last year.
During the JDU-RJD alliance, Yadav served as Deputy Chief Minister, but his ultimate goal remains a step further—to become Chief Minister and follow in his father’s footsteps.
"We will discuss this as and when the situation arises... they are our alliance partners," he said, waving away follow-ups about possible concerns if he is not projected as the alliance's face.
"We will see when it happens. First, we want to first defeat the National Democratic Alliance (the BJP-led coalition) in Bihar... it all depends on the blessings of people," he said. But then he also threw in a subtle reminder to the Congress, declaring, "My supporters want this."
Speaking on to the election preparation by RJD, Yadav said that there are several issues he would like to highlight during the campaign, including all the development that the state is lagging behind. He highlights several issues such as: unemployment, health, and public welfare. "There are so many things to be done..."
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