Have to be Hindu to live in Araria, says Bihar BJP MLA Pradeep Kumar Singh
Patna: A video featuring Pradeep Kumar Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Araria in northeast Bihar, has gone viral on social media after he remarked that those seeking to live in Araria must become Hindus.
During an event for Union Minister for Textile and Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh’s ongoing five-day Hindu Swabhiman Yatra, Pradeep Kumar made the controversial remarks, stating, “What shame is there in calling yourself a Hindu? If one has to live in Araria, he has to become Hindu.” His comments were met with applause and cheers from the audience.
Notably, Pradeep Singh represents a constituency where approximately 40 percent of the population is Muslim. He further urged attendees to prioritise Hindu unity over caste affiliations, stating, “Look out for your caste when you have to marry your sons and daughters, but when there is a need for Hindu unity, you must be a Hindu first and put your caste behind.”
In response, RJD leader and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav slammed Pradeep Singh's statements and the yatra, claiming they aim to sow discord between communities. “The way Giriraj Singh is organising this yatra and the provocative statement made by BJP's Araria MP... there's an attempt to create rift and riots between two communities," Yadav said in a video message. He emphasised that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) stands for social justice and secularism and will continue to fight against communal and feudal forces.
This is Pradeep Singh, the Member of Parliament from Araria. You must be familiar with him, but sadly, the very Constitution on which he swore an oath, he is now violating. He understands that the tide is turning, every community and every section of society is becoming educated,… pic.twitter.com/21AAp5fQDd
— Akhyarul Hoda (@AkhyarTweets18) October 22, 2024
VIDEO | "The way Giriraj Singh is organising a yatra
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 23, 2024
(Hindu Swabhiman Yatra)... and the absurd statement given by BJP's Araria MP... there's an attempt to create rift and riots between two communities. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has always been a party of social justice and… pic.twitter.com/MZsPGF50Lu
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
