New Delhi: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday claimed that the victory of RJD's Sarfaraz Alam from Araria Lok Sabha seat would make the place a hub of terrorism, which would be a danger to not only Bihar but also the country.
Singh's controversial remarks invited strong comments from opposition parties, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav saying the BJP should withdraw support from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if it did not believe in his leadership.
A day after the BJP suffered reverses in Lok Sabha bypolls, Singh told reporters that the RJD had spawned an "extremist ideology" to fulfil its political ambitions. "The RJD has started a new political culture for its political ambitions... They have spawned an extremist ideology which is a danger not only to Bihar but also to the country in the coming days. It will become a hub of terrorism," he claimed.
Singh, seen as a Hindutva hardliner within the BJP, has ignited controversies with his fiery comments in the past as well. Attacking him, Yadav tweeted, "This man is a central minister and unfortunately he is not aware that it's his government in Bihar and Delhi."
"If he and the BJP don't believe in Nitish Kumar's leadership, then why don't they ask him to step down or withdraw support. Such a shame for Nitish Kumar," he said.
Alam had defeated BJP's Pradeep Kumar Singh by over 60,000 votes. During the campaign for polls, Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai had claimed that Araria would become an "IS (Islamic State) den" if the RJD won from there.