Chirag Paswan calls out JUH for skipping Iftaar party, asks if opposition did enough for Muslims

Union Minister

Chirag Paswan

on Monday protested against

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

's (JUH) decision to boycott his party's Iftaar gathering, questioning the organisation’s stance.
JUH chief Arshad Madanihas announced on X on Friday that the group would avoid events hosted by "self-proclaimed secular leaders" like Paswan, Nitish Kumar, and Chandrababu Naidu, accusing them of staying silent on Muslim issues, besides alleging that "their duplicity has become evident with their equivocal stand on the

Waqf Bill

".

Paswan who arrived in Patna to oversee preparations for the iftaar, while respecting Madani’s decision, urged him to reconsider whether the opposition, particularly the RJD, had done enough for the

Muslim community

.

"I have great respect for Madani sahib. I honour his decision. But, I would urge him to reflect a bit on whether our opponents like the RJD, self-proclaimed champions of Muslims, have been able to protect the interests of the minority community," he said.
Paswan highlighted that his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, had once risked his political career to support a Muslim candidate for Bihar’s chief ministership. He referred to the 2005 Bihar elections, where his party refused to support any government unless a Muslim was made CM. The political deadlock eventually led to the assembly’s dissolution, a move later ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
"My late father and political mentor Ram Vilas Paswan had once risked his entire political career to ensure that a Muslim became the chief minister of Bihar," he said.
The Union Minister also commented on the rising crime in Bihar, expressing concern over Nitish Kumar’s failure to curb incidents under his Home Ministry. Paswan pointed out increasing attacks on Dalits, particularly the Paswan community, and alleged political motives behind these incidents ahead of the upcoming elections. However, he refrained from making personal remarks about Kumar’s governance ability, despite recent discussions on the CM’s mental health.
Meanwhile, another Muslim group, Imarat Shariah, rejected Nitish Kumar’s Iftaar invitation. The organisation, influential in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, accused Kumar of betraying his promises to protect minorities. It cited his support for the Waqf Bill as the reason for the boycott, arguing that the legislation would worsen the socio-economic condition of Muslims.
In a letter, Imarat Shariah dismissed the government’s Iftaar event as mere "tokenism" and criticised the administration’s inaction on real concerns. It claimed that Nitish Kumar’s alliance with the BJP contradicted his past commitments to secular governance.