Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister Nityanand Rai has stoked a major controversy with his remark that if opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) comes to power after Assembly elections, 'terrorists would escape Kashmir and take shelter in Bihar'.
“If the RJD forms government in this election then the terrorists in Kashmir will seek shelter in Bihar. We won’t let that happen,” Rai, who is Union Home minister Amit Shah's deputy, said while speaking at an election rally in Vaishali.
Rai, 54, is a Lok Sabha MP from Ujiarpur constituency in Samastipur district. He also served as the chief of the BJP's Bihar unit before Amit Shah appointed him as his deputy in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Rai has emerged as the BJP’s Yadav face in Bihar. The party expects that he can swing the mood of Yadav voters, resulting in a gain for the saffron party in the elections. Yadavs comprise over 14% Bihar's 10 crore population and are traditionally seen as the supporter of the RJD.
Rai remark drew sharp criticism from the opposition. Lalu Prasad Yadav's son and grand alliance's CM candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, said that the BJP is making attempts to divert the agenda just ahead of elections.
“Unemployment rate in Bihar is 46.6%. What does he have to say on the terror of unemployment, poverty, starvation and migration? What did their double-engine govt do in 15 years? It’s their attempt to divert from agenda but we want to contest the election on agenda,” news agency ANI quoted Tejashwi as saying.
“Every Bihari is feeling hurt and humiliated by Nityanand ji’s statement. His remark also raises a serious question to the office of Home Minister Amit Shah,” RJD's Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha said.
Three-phase Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held on October 28, November 3, and November 7. Results will be declared on November 10.
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