Giriraj Singh is contesting from Begusarai Giriraj Singh is contesting from Begusarai

Taking suo motu cognizance, the Begusarai district administration in Bihar Thursday booked Union Minister Giriraj Singh for violating the model code of conduct by making controversial remarks against Muslims at a rally Wednesday, where BJP president Amit Shah was also present.

According to Begusarai district magistrate, Rahul Kumar, an FIR was lodged at the Town Police Station against Singh for “hurting religious sentiments”.

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Addressing the rally at GD College in Begusarai Wednesday, Singh had said: “Jo Vande Mataram nahin keh sakta, jo Bharat ki matrabhumi ko naman nahin kar sakta, arre Giriraj ke to baap-dada Simaria ghat me Ganga ke kinare hi mare, usi bhoomi par kabr bhi nahin banaya, tumhe toh teen haath ka jagah bhi chahiye, agar tum nahin kar paoge to desh kabhi maaf nahin karegi.”

(Those who cannot say Vande Mataram or cannot respect the motherland, the nation will never forgive them. My ancestors died at the Simaria ghat and did not need a grave but you need three handspans of space).

READ | Giriraj Singh demands ban on use of green flags

“There are many people who are trying to spread communal passions. We will not allow that to happen anywhere in Bihar including Begusarai. The RJD candidate in Darbhanga recently said he had problems with reciting Vande Mataram,” PTI quoted Singh as saying while referring to Abdul Bari Siddiqui’s comments last week.

Singh is contesting from the Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency against the CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar and RJD’s Tanveer Hassan.

Recently, the Union Minister also said on the campaign that political parties in the country should be prohibited from having flags which were green in colour since they resembled the emblem of Pakistan.

Opposition parties have targeted Singh over the comment and asked what he thought of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), an NDA ally, which has a green flag.

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