Rioters running amok in Sasaram, Bihar Sharif… will be hung upside down if we come to power in 2025: Amit Shah

Shah, who had to cancel his scheduled trip to Sasaram because of the communal tension, said, “It is very unfortunate that I had to cancel my visit to Sasram today to take part in the birthday anniversary celebration of Samrat Ashok. People are being attacked in Sasaram.” He, however, said he would visit Sasaram soon to attend a function on the Mauryan emperor.

नवादा (बिहार) में @BJP4Bihar द्वारा आयोजित जनसभा को संबोधित कर रहा हूँ। https://t.co/2bvTyeOTeN

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 2, 2023

“I pray for restoration of peace in Biharsharif,” he said, as he targeted the JD(U) for questioning his telephone call to the Bihar Governor to take stock of the law and order situation following clashes during a Ram Navami procession in the town on March 31.

“JD (U) national president Lalan Singh has taken exception to my call to the Bihar Governor after the latest happenings. I am also the country’s Home Minister and have the right to take stock of the law and order situation in the state,” he said.

He termed the Nitish government as one of “buri niti (bad policies)” and “buri niyat (bad intentions)”, and reiterated that there was no question of the JD(U) leader’s return to the NDA fold even in the post-poll scenario.

“The BJP will now never undertake a political journey with Nitish Kumar,” he said, adding that the state government “would fall under the weight of its own contradictions” after the 2024 general elections.

Cautioning RJD chief Lalu Prasad over his alliance with the JD(U), Shah said Nitish will never allow Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to become the Chief Minister of Bihar. “One person has to become PM and another has to become Bihar CM. But there is no vacancy for PM. Laluji, take it from me, Nitish Kumar will never let your son become the CM,” he said.

Nalanda: Charred remains of vehicles after a clash broke out between two groups during Ram Navami procession, in Nalanda district, Sunday, April 2, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Raising the Article 370 and Ayodhya temple issues, Shah accused the JD(U) – a former coalition partner of the BJP – of being in the same league as the RJD, Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.

“Kashmir is ours. Should we not have scrapped Article 370? The JD(U) had opposed it because of its policy of appeasement,” he said. “The Congress, JD(U) and Mamata Banerjee were also not in support of Ram temple. Hum apni sanskritik dharohar ka punarnirman kar rahe hain (We are reconstructing our cultural heritage).”

Highlighting the NDA government’s achievements, Shah said while Bihar got funds worth Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre between 2009 and 2014, the Narendra Modi government gave the state Rs 1,09,000 crore between 2014 and 2019.

BJP Begusarai MP and Union minister Giriraj Singh, who spoke before Shah, said the people of Bihar will have to respond to the communal violence by helping the BJP win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2024.

“Kya hamne kabhi taziya par patthar phenka? Unhone hamare Hanuman aur Ram ke shobhayatra par Nalanda me patthar phenka. Iska jawab dena hoga. Agle chunav me Bihar me sabhi seats Modi-Shah ko dijiye (Have we ever thrown stones at taziya procession? They did it to a Ramnavmi procession in Nalanda. You have to respond by giving all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar to Narendra Modi-Amit Shah),” Singh said.

Bihar BJP president Samrat Choudhary said the BJP would form its own government in the 2025 Assembly elections. “Lalu Prasad had become CM for the first time with BJP support. We supported Nitish Kumar to become CM five times. The people are now in mood to change it all. The BJP would form its own government under guidance of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, for the first time in 75 years,” he said.