Patna, Oct 23 (PTI) RJD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday slammed Union minister Giriraj Singh and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the BJP leader’s “inflammatory” speeches in various parts of the state.
Prasad was responding to queries from journalists about the ‘Hindu Swabhiman Yatra’ led by Singh and the “failure” of Kumar to restrain him even though the BJP is dependent upon JD(U) to remain in power in Bihar as well as the Centre.
“I see no difference between BJP’s rule and his (Nitish) rule,” said Prasad, taking potshots at the JD(U) supremo.
“As far as Giriraj Singh is concerned, he has been in a habit of such unrestrained behaviour. He simply cannot help it,” the former CM said.
Prasad, who counts on the arrest of LK Advani at the height of the Ayodhya movement, however, dismissed fears of communal disturbances arising in the wake of the ‘Hindu Swabhiman Yatra’.
“A handful of BJP leaders cannot destroy communal harmony in Bihar. Hindus and Muslims have lived together for long and will continue to do so,” he asserted.
Singh had toured nearly half a dozen communally sensitive districts of Bihar as part of the Yatra, which concluded on Wednesday in Kishanganj.
While the Yatra was passing through Araria, which has a high population of Muslims, local BJP MP Pradeep Singh had told the gathering “if you want to live in Araria you must become a Hindu”.
The MP later clarified that he was speaking of “Hindu unity, cutting across castes” and not targeting any other religious community.
Nonetheless, locals have been staging protests in Araria, placing burning tyres on the road and blocking traffic for several hours.
On Tuesday, a person allegedly carrying a pistol had also been arrested from near the MP’s house.
Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, a senior BJP leader, accused RJD supremo’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav of “provoking” people against the Araria MP by issuing statements on social media from Jharkhand where he has been camping to oversee preparations for assembly elections. PTI NAC SOM
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