Amit Shah Rebukes Giriraj for Remark on NDA Leaders’ Iftar Event

“Why do we lag behind in our religion and rituals, and lead when it comes to showing off?” Giriraj Singh tweeted.

File image of Union Minister and BJP MP from Begusarai Giriraj Singh. 

(Photo: IANS)

BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday, 4 June, reproached Union Minister Giriraj Singh over his tweet slamming NDA leaders in Bihar for attending an Iftar party. Shah called and asked Singh to avoid making such statements, reported ANI.

Earlier in the day, Singh targeted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, for holding an iftar party, as he took to Twitter to post a message along with pictures of the two.

“Why do we lag behind in our religion and rituals, and lead when it comes to showing off,” the BJP leader tweeted, saying the “picture would have been beautiful had they organised a meal on Navratra (Navratri) with as much love”.

Singh posted the comment along with a picture of Kumar, Paswan and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi holding each other's hands at the iftar party in Patna on Monday.

Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi Slam Remarks

The Begusarai MP's remarks met with nonchalance from Nitish Kumar, who told journalists, "He indulges in such antics so that you people make him newsy."

The remarks also met with strong disapproval from Sushil Kumar Modi, Singh's senior in the BJP.

“I have been hosting Iftaar parties for 25 years. I also organise Holi Milan feasts. Those who are coming up with taunts do not have the heart to offer a treat to people on Holi... How would they appreciate the catholicity of a Hindu hosting iftaar party?” Sushil Modi said.

He said he was unaware of Singh's tweet and was only responding to the inputs from journalists.

‘We Observe All Festivals’: Chirag Paswan

The tweet from Singh, whose hardline Hindutva views have often sparked controversies, also drew sharp reactions from BJP's allies with LJP leader and Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan saying his remarks amounted to questioning Indian traditions.

Chirag Paswan said his party believed in "sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas", a slogan coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent NDA meeting.

Chirag Paswan said, “Everyone knows what kind of man Giriraj Singh ji is.” He added that the party “would like to tell him that we observe all festivals, whether Navratri or Ramzan”.

JD(U) Leaders Demand Action Against Giriraj Singh

Lashing out at Singh, JD(U) MLC and state minister Ashok Chowdhury said, “Had anybody stopped Giriraj from arranging phalaahar during Navaratra? I wish to warn him, not the entire BJP, but him alone that he must refrain from making such statements,” according to PTI.

Further, Chowdhury said Giriraj must remember that his party is part of a coalition government in Bihar and he owes his stupendous victory in the Lok Sabha polls in no small measure to the support of Kumar.

Reacting to the remark, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh demanded action against the newly-elected MP from Begusarai.

"It is high time the BJP should take Giriraj Singh's statements seriously and act against him, as PM Narendra Modi had recently stated that he would check and control all such leaders of his party who speak the language of hate," the Janata Dal (United) leader said.

Nitish's JD(U) and Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) are allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

(With inputs from IANS, PTI and ANI.)