Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh remained defiant even as the BJP top brass expressed its “displeasure” over his remark.
Singh, who stirred a hornet’s nest by saying that those opposing Narendra Modi had no place in India and should go to Pakistan, said he stood by his comment.
“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,” he told.
He also tweeted, “I maintain”many Pakistani pro are constantly opposing namo.this nation belongs to Indian at heart else Pakistan always welcome anti India (sic).”
Speaking over telephone from Bhagalpur in the midst of campaigning for BJP candidate Syed Shahanwaz Hussain, he claimed that a number of powerful countries were trying their best to stop Modi from becoming the prime minister with Pakistan topping the list.
He alleged that Pakistan had pulled out all its cards to stop Modi from becoming the prime minister with some leaders in India acting on its behest by running a vilification campaign against him.
“It’s in this context that I have described some Modi-baiters as supporters of Pakistan and asked them to go to the neighbouring country as they have no place in India,” Singh, a former minister in the Nitish Kumar government, said.
“In democracy, everybody can oppose and I have no problem with that…But nobody has a right to act against national interest and appear to be speaking the language of a foreign country which has been known to act against our country…,” he said.
The BJP leader, however, earned the displeasure of the party’s central leadership which has distanced itself from his remark made in Jharkhand yesterday.
Bihar BJP distances itself from Giriraj’s statement
Bihar BJP distanced itself from that saying the party did not approve of the “irresponsible” statement by Singh.
“BJP doesn’t approve of irresponsible statement given by Giriraj Singh,” senior Bihar BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted.
In Delhi, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in Delhi that the party had nothing to do with Singh’s statement.
Congress and JD(U) had slammed the BJP leader’s outrageous comments and threatened to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission.
The EC too had taken dim view of the BJP leader’s remarks with the Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshmanan saying that the poll panel may examine it before proceeding in the matter as per law and its regulations.
Singh, a self-confessed loyalist of the Gujarat Chief Minister, was rewarded by the BJP with ticket from Nawada Parliamentary seat for his unflinching support to Modi.
Polling on Nawada Lok Sabha seat was held in the first phase of the general elections on April 10 last.
