Patna, Oct 23 Bihar Minister Neeraj Kumar on Wednesday lashed out at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav for his comments regarding the Muslim community and accused him of 'conspiring' to incite communal violence in the state.
Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar in a Facebook Live session said yesterday, "If anyone tries to cast an evil eye on our Muslim brothers, RJD and Tejashwi Yadav will not stay quiet."
"I will firmly resist any effort to push Bihar into communalism. I warn leaders making provocative statements that anyone targeting Muslims with ill intentions. We will retaliate with full force," he further warned.
RJD leader's controversial remarks came apparently in the backdrop of BJP MP Pradeep Singh's statement during Giriraj Singh's Hindu Swabhimaan Yatra in which he said, "If you want to live in Araria, you must be a Hindu," drawing widespread anger and outrage across the state.
Neeraj Kumar, speaking to IANS said, "Tejashwi Yadav is not concerned about Muslims but about the electoral equation of Hindu and MY (Muslim+Yadav) votes. The Yadav community is shifting towards the NDA, and the Muslim vote bank is also splitting. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,' they feel the Muslim votes is slipping away from them."
Kumar further stated that Tejashwi Yadav is troubled by the impact of Giriraj Singh's Hindu Swabhiman Yatra, which aims to unite the Hindu community across the state.
"They are concerned that riots aren't breaking out and that Bihar remains peaceful. They are conspiring to trigger communal tensions with such statements," he said.
Kumar further warned that if peace is disrupted in Bihar, those responsible for making incendiary remarks will face legal consequences.
"This is Nitish Kumar's NDA government, and we do not tolerate such provocations," he emphasised.
Kumar also responded to RJD chief Lalu Yadav on the latter drawing a comparison between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Giriraj Singh.
He concluded by asserting that the NDA is poised to secure a substantial majority in the 2025 elections and this is causing anxiety in the ranks of its political rivals.
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