I am also an Indian, says JDU MLC who participated in protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act

Janata Dal (United) MLC Gulam Rasool Balyawi, who participated in a protest against The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, that was supported by his party in Parliament, said that he was an Indian first before anything else.

Speaking to reporters on why he joined the protest by Edara-e-Sharia against the Act, Balyawi said: "Edara-e-Sharia is an independent orgsation and I am its president. I needed to be there as president... I am also a Hindust before any posts...There should not be any pain in the hearts of the people of the country."

According to party sources, Balyawi also got a call from Bihar Chief Minister's office, following the protest.

When asked to comment, Balyawi said: "We keep talking to each other. I also call him."

Earlier, similar contrarian views were echoed against the party's stand on CAA, by JDU leaders Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma as well.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghstan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Meanwhile, BJP MLC and former Union Minister Sanjay Pawan said that JDU chief Nitish Kumar should speak on the party's stand on the Act.

"Prashant Kishor is not a political strategist, not a political worker. Whatever RCP Singh said should be JDU party's stand? Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is also JDU chief should speak on this clearly. Balyawi being a Muslim might have given a statement, we have sympathy with him. BJP is hurt with Kishor's statement which he gave as a strategist of TMC, Shiv Sena and AAP," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )