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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, publicly disassociated itself from its candidate Giriraj Singh's statement that those opposing the party’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, should be prepared to go to Pakistan after the elections, as they would have no place in India.
“The BJP doesn’t approve of the irresponsible statement given by Giriraj Singh,” tweeted senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
According to a PTI report, the Jharkand police on Sunday filed a First Investigation Report against the Bihar BJP leader for his inflammatory remark. But the Lok Sabha candidate from Nawada said: “I stand by my statement that those trying their best to stop Modi from coming to power have no place in India and should go to Pakistan, whose interests these Modi-baiters have sought to espouse by opposing him in the polls.”
BJP sources said Singh had been pulled up for his remarks which, the party believes, have given other political parties a handle to go after, even as it has built a campaign around a development agenda. “The leadership’s displeasure has been conveyed to him,” a party leader said. Party president Rajnath Singh telephoned Singh and reproved him.
Other parties had slammed Singh’s statement. Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal had wondered if non-National Democratic Alliance leaders like Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati would be sent to Pakistan. He said the Election Commission should take note of Singh’s comments and he should be sent to jail.
K C Mittal of the Congress legal cell said they would go to the Election Commission. “It is a serious issue. He is trying to provoke people and laying the foundation of dividing the nation. The language he used is dangerous and divisive,” he said.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too has protested Singh's statement and has said the Election Commission must take note of it.
Singh, the BJP’s candidate contesting from Nawada in Bihar, had made the statement while speaking at a poll meeting at Mohanpur Haat Maidan near the temple town of Deogarh in Jharkhand on Friday.
“Those opposing Narendra Modi are looking at Pakistan, and such people will have a place in Pakistan and not in India,” he had said.
