Araria will turn into terror hub, says Union Minister Giriraj Singh

NEW DELHI: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday reacted to BJP’s defeat in a Lok Sabha by-election in Bihar by saying that the Araria constituency would become a “hub of terrorism”.

“Araria is not just a bordering area, connected to Nepal and Bengal... (It is moving) to a hardline ideology, which is not just dangerous for Bihar, but for the whole country. It will become a hub of terrorism,” the minister said after RJD retained the seat, winning by over 60,000 votes.

Singh also said RJD had started a “new political culture” to fulfill its ambitions.

‘Muslim vote consolidation key factor in BJP’s defeat’

The minister is known for his hardline comments which been both indulged and, on some occasions, frowned upon by the leadership.

On Thursday, Singh appeared to be articulating, although crudely, the BJP’s worry over the aggressive Muslim consolidation against the party: something which, according to party strategists, was a major factor in the reverses. Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi underlined the factor in his tweets without using the drastic language Singh employed.

“RJD got a lead of 1,30,000 votes from two minority-dominated constituencies which led to their victory in Araria,” Modi tweeted after the results were out. He said out of eight assembly segments (six segments in Araria LS seat besides Jehanabad and Bhabhua), BJP led in five whereas RJD led in three.



Even in UP, Muslims rallied behind the SP candidates to ensure BJP’s defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. In Gorakhpur, Congress’s Muslim candidate Sureetha Kareem, a gynaecologist of repute, got a miserable 2% vote.