Lateral entry, UCC and more: Why JD(U) dropped KC Tyagi as party spokesperson

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi on Sunday resigned as the party's spokesperson citing personal reasons. (File photo: PTI)

The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) on Sunday announced the appointment of Neeraj Ranjan Prasad as the party’s national spokesperson, replacing veteran leader KC Tyagi on the post. The development came after Tyagi resigned as the spokesperson citing personal reasons.

A former MP, Tyagi served as the party’s voice on critical issues for 24 years, barring a two-month break last year. “I am neither upset, nor dejected or disappointed. I am cheerful. I have resigned from the post of the party spokesperson, not the party itself...I wrote to Nitish Kumar yesterday, he called me up and urged me to continue as the party's advisor," he told news agency ANI.

Why JD(U) dropped KC Tyagi as spokesperson

While Tyagi has maintained that he had urged the party chief to relieve him of the responsibility last year too, recent developments, particularly his remarks on some key decisions by the central government, raise doubts over the reasons behind his replacement.

From lateral entry to the Uniform Civil Code, the Israel-Palestine war to Bihar's demand for special status, Tyagi had been vocal on critical issues, possibly causing some discomfort to the JD(U).

Tyagi was critical of the government’s decision on lateral entry, that it had handed a “weapon in the hands of the Opposition” and the move would make “Rahul Gandhi a champion of the depressed classes”.

While Tyagi wasn’t the only NDA constituent to have raised the issue – Chirag Paswan of the LJP (Ram Vilas) was equally scathing – the JD(U) leader’s remark was seen as giving the Opposition unnecessary prominence on an issue that Bihar’s ruling party claims to have championed.

Too harsh for JD(U)’s comfort?

Tyagi’s articulation of his stand on lateral entry wasn’t the only instance that left the JD(U), a key partner in Centre’s ruling NDA, uncomfortable. While the JD(U) has positioned itself as an independent voice in the alliance led by BJP and made its views clear even on issues seen close to BJP’s ideology, it has also tried to keep its responses measured as it attempts to garner maximum benefits from the Centre for Bihar ahead of the elections next year.

Sample some of Tyagi’s responses on key issues:

Israel-Palestine Conflict: An issue where India has sought to take a measured stand, Tyagi joined ranks with the Opposition and issued a joint statement asking the Indian government to stop the sale of weapons to Israel.
Uniform Civil Code: When PM Narendra Modi broached the subject of UCC on Independence Day, Tyagi said the party supported UCC but wanted a wider consultation, citing Nitish Kumar’s position in his letter to the Law Commission in 2017. Contrast that response to that of the LJP which said it would only comment after the government prepared the UCC draft.

Vinesh Phogat controversy: When Vinesh Phogat lost out to a contest for the Olympic gold medal in boxing for being a few grams overweight, Tyagi said he “suspected manipulation as part of a conspiracy”. Incidentally, this was the same position taken by Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the matter.

Agnipath scheme: Immediately after the Lok Sabha elections that saw the BJP register its poorest performance in a decade, Tyagi suggested that there was “anger” among youth over the scheme and that it should be discussed threadbare. “There is anger among voters about the (Agnipath) scheme. Our party wants it to be discussed threadbare in the government to remove its flaws.”

Special Status: While Nitish Kumar has been vocal about the demand for a special status to Bihar for a long time, it took a slightly reserved approach on the matter after coming to power at the Centre in alliance with the BJP. Ahead of the Budget, Nitish’s party prioritized funds and projects for Bihar in its list of demands to the Centre instead of harping back to the special status demand. Tyagi, however, reiterated the party’s demand on the matter.

“Although our support to the NDA is unconditional, we do believe that Bihar must get special status. Following the division of the state, the hardship and the problem of unemployment it has faced can only be addressed through special status to the state,” he said.