Union Minister Giriraj Singh souped into a controversy when the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said those “who don’t say Vande Mataram, can’t worship the motherland – Giriraj’s father and grandfather died on the Simaria ghat by the banks of the Ganga and did not need a grave. You on the other hand, need three-arm’s-length of land. If you don’t do it, the country will never forgive you.”
“The RJD candidate said in Darbhanga that he won’t say Vande Mataram,” the Union Minister added. The comment seemed to be made for Rashtriya Janata Dal Darbhanga candidate Abdul Bari Siddiqui.
On Tuesday, Singh had called for a ban on green flags by the Election Commission, which drew sharp criticism.
The Nawada Member of Parliament had earlier shown his discontent after the party fielded him from Begusarai. After BJP president Amit Shah’s intervention the situation got resolved. The Nawada seat has been given to NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party of minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
Begusarai is one of the 5 constituencies in Bihar to go on polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Monday, April 29. CPI has fielded Kanhaiya Kumar, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded Tanveer Hassan.
In 2014, BJP’s Bhola Singh defeated RJD candidate Tanveer Hassan by a margin of 58 thousand votes.
