Urban Mirror

While the minister has dubbed around 19 percent Muslims of Bihar as “Namak Haram” for not supporting the BJP, he was silent over 37.23 percent other people of Bihar who had voted for RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan in 2020. While this alliance had got 110 seats in compared of NDA’s 125 (37.26 percent) the total vote difference was just 11, 150, writes M Hasan

Lucknow, October 21: “Namak Haram” Jib (betrayers/disloyal) has turned into a raging controversy as highly caste-ridden and communalized Bihar prepares for first round of crucial state assembly polling on November 6.

The comments of RSS-BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh calling them “Namak Haram” as they did not vote for the BJP has sparked major controversy in the state. While the minister has dubbed around 19 percent Muslims of Bihar as “Namak Haram” for not supporting the BJP, he was silent over 37.23 percent other people of Bihar who had voted for RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan in 2020. While this alliance had got 110 seats as compared to NDA’s 125 (37.26 percent) the total vote difference was just 11, 150.

Sharply reacting to communal insinuation former IAS office and founder vice-chancellor of Khwaja Moinuddin University, Lucknow Anis Ansari said in a statement here on Tuesday “government’s welfare schemes are run not by funds and establishment of RSS -BJP but by taxes paid by all citizens including poor when they pay GST & other tax and non -tax levies even on small purchases and services” . Ansari further said “constitution provides freedom to each voter to support any candidate of his / her choice irrespective of the benefits provided by any political party. If RSS-BJP seek votes of Muslim voters especially their Pasmandah segments who are highly under- represented, let RSS-BJP establishment try including Muslim candidates in their party and government organisations and ticket distribution in proportion to their population”. A senior RSS-BJP leader and constitutional position holder abused Muslim voters publicly as betrayers “Namak Haram” alleging Muslim poor obtain benefits from govt welfare schemes yet do not vote for BJP.

The Union minister of Textiles, who is an MP from Begusarai, said at a rally in Arwal that the BJP did not want votes from “namak haraams (betrayers)” while referring to a purported conversation he had with a Muslim cleric. The rally to launch the election campaign for the NDA candidates from the Arwal and Kurtha constituencies, BJP’s Manoj Sharma and JD(U)’s Pappu Verma, was also attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. A video purportedly showing Giriraj Singh describing Muslims as “namak haram”, or ungrateful, has triggered furor on Sunday, with the Opposition calling for his head and some NDA leaders condoning his remark.

The remarks drew sharp criticism from Opposition parties. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mirtunjay Tiwari accused the Union Minister of attempting to stoke communal divisions. “Whenever elections take place in any State, BJP leaders always play the Hindu-Muslim card. They cannot think beyond that. He is the same leader who earlier said that those who don’t vote for BJP will be sent to Pakistan. BJP has been ruling the Centre for 11 years; have they sent anyone to Pakistan?” Mr. Tiwari said in Patna. He added, “Even the people of Bihar are fed up with such leaders and are not going to support those who believe in distributing swords.”

Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, also criticised Mr. Singh, saying, “First the BJP leader should look within himself and identify who were the traitors during the freedom struggle. Identify India’s biggest enemies – those who served the British and perpetuated their rule were the traitors.” Singh had during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign said that those opposed to Modi should be sent to Pakistan. He has in the past called the Islamic seminary in Deoband a “fountainhead of terrorism”, and claimed that Indians have paid a heavy price for their forefathers’ failure to send all Muslims to Pakistan. Singh has repeatedly alleged that Muslim “population growth” is a threat to India’s security. However the 73-year-old minister, a habitual purveyor of incendiary comments against Muslims, stood by his remarks.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut demanded Singh’s removal from the government and asked whether Hindus who did not vote for the BJP would also be labelled “namak haram”. “If someone doesn’t vote for you, does that make them namak haram? Who gave you the right to insult an entire community?” Raut said. Bihar Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput called Singh “mentally unstable” and said: “The BJP has nothing left to talk about except Hindu-Muslim.” The JDU, the BJP’s biggest ally in Bihar, adopted a more cautious stance. Party spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan said: “The voters are intelligent. They make decisions beyond such comments. The Muslim community in Bihar trusts Nitish Kumar.” Another JDU leader, Neeraj Kumar, defended Singh, saying: “He only pointed out that the Centre’s welfare schemes don’t discriminate. He used the expression in that context. Everyone has the right to choose their words.”

( M Hasan is former Chief of Bureau Hindustan Times, Lucknow)