He accused the opposition of deliberately misinterpreting the statement. Referring to Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba, and his advocacy of a “Hindu Rashtra,” Chirag stated, “That may be his individual opinion, which a section of people agrees with. It is not for the first time that Bageshwar Baba has spoken about ‘Hindu Rashtra’. But the country is run by the Constitution.”The Hajipur MP added that opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was attempting to stir controversy over Bageshwar Baba’s remarks as it suited RJD’s “politics of appeasement.”Hours after BJP MLA Bachaul’s statement, ruling JD(U) and opposition parties, including RJD and Congress, strongly criticised him, accusing him of trying to incite communal tensions ahead of the elections.JD(U) minister Madan Sahni rejected the remark, questioning, “How can anybody say that India is a Hindu Rashtra? People from all religious faiths live in India.” Another JD(U) minister, Zama Khan, assured, “Nobody should be worried as long as Nitish Kumar is the chief minister.”RJD MLA Bhai Birendra and Congress leader Ajit Sharma also condemned the BJP MLA’s comments. “BJP leaders make such statements before elections to consolidate their vote bank,” Ajit Sharma said.
Source link
