PATNA: Had Muslim brothers been sent to Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947, we would not have to face situation like this (protest over CAA) today, Union minister Giriraj Singh said at a BJP event in Bihar‘s Purnia town, triggering a fresh controversy.“Time has come to dedicate ourselves for the cause of country. Before 1947, when our ancestors had been fighting for the independence of the country, ( Muhammad Ali Jinna was planning to make Bharat an Islamic state. It was a major lapse by our ancestors that we are paying the price for, today. Had Muslim brothers been sent there (Pakistan) at that time, we would not have to face this situation.” Singh said while addressing a meeting the district working committee of the BJP on Thursday at Purnia, one of main towns of the Seemanchal region which has a sizeable Muslim population.The Union minister had gone there on a two-day tour to create awareness about the Citizenship Amendment Act among the party workers and leaders.Stressing the need of the CAA, which seeks to fast-track granting citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who might have fled their home countries because of religious persecution; the firebrand BJP leader said, “If Bharatvanshi (people of Indian Origin) will not get a place in India, then which other country will give them asylum.”The Begusarai MP, who often remains in the news for his controversial statements, had once created a huge controversy during 2014 Lok Sabha polls after he said, “All those opposed to Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan as they have no place in India.”This time, his statement has been opposed by the BJP’s NDA allies –the LJP and the JD(U). The LJP and JD(U) leaders strongly disapproved Giriraj’s utterance and recalled as to how the NDA had to suffer in the recent Delhi assembly polls because of “polarising” remarks by the saffron leaders.“Many times, our coalition partners say things which the LJP does not at all agree with. This one (Giriraj Singh’ss statement) is such an example. Had a person of my party spoken in this fashion, I would have taken responsibility and acted against the person,” the LJP chief Chirag Paswan said here on Friday.“Giriraj Singh is such a leader that he does not even care to obey the advice of his party president J P Nadda. Nadda has recently said that the BJP faces embarrassment due to such leaders. Giriraj Singh should give more attention on the activities of his departments, instead of issuing controversial remarks,” JD(U) spokesperson Arvind Nishad told TOI.