As NDA partner, JD(U) sides with the people against BJP's Agniveer scheme

Janata Dal (United) leader K.C. Tyagi on Thursday, 6 June, said his party — a BJP ally — has demanded a review of the Agnipath scheme and will "pursue" the caste census issue.

The caste census, he asserted, was the need of the hour. He also said his party's support to the BJP was "unconditional".

"There is anger among voters on the (short-term army recruitment) Agniveer scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings to be removed, on which people have objections," Tyagi told reporters in Delhi. 

He also spoke of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which he said the JD(U) is not opposed to, but wants that all stakeholders should be consulted on it. 

"On the UCC, the chief minister (Nitish Kumar) had written to the Law Commission. We are not against the UCC. But there should be consultation with all the stakeholders, chief ministers, political parties and different sects, and a resolution should be found," he said. 

Asked if his party will push for a caste census, Tyagi said, "No party in the country has denied a caste census. Bihar has shown the way, the prime minister [Narendra Modi] also did not oppose... It is the demand of the time, and we will pursue it."

On the subject of his party's support to the BJP as a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he said:

"After bifurcation, the situation Bihar has faced, it cannot be corrected without granting it special status," he said.

The support of allies like the JD(U) is crucial for the BJP at this juncture, as it could not reach the majority mark on its own in the Lok Sabha election. 

The BJP bagged 240 seats, 32 short of an absolute majority.

Among its allies, N. Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, are the biggest contributors.

Along with other alliance partners, they have ensured the NDA has 293 seats—and pledged their support to Narendra Modi for his third term as prime minister, something that been clearly one of his keenest desires.

With PTI inputs