Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday hit out at the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing them of repeatedly insulting Bihar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to reporters, Singh said, “I want to ask Congress and Tejashwi Yadav, how much will you insult Bihar, how much will you abuse? In your abuses, you even had derogatory words spoken about the PM’s mother… The Ashok Stambh is not just a symbol, it embodies the spirit of India, the Constitution, and the soul of Babasaheb Ambedkar.”
Taking aim at Rahul Gandhi, the minister added, “You talked about a hydrogen bomb, but you dropped a ‘beedi bomb’, meaning you compared Biharis to beedis. If Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi do not apologise, and if the National Conference does not distance itself from such conduct, they will have to face consequences.”
His remarks came a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah questioned the use of the national emblem on a foundation stone at the renovated Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Abdullah noted that the emblem was traditionally reserved for government institutions and official functions, asking why it was needed at a religious site.
The controversy escalated after a video surfaced showing a mob vandalising the Ashoka emblem inscribed on the stone plaque at the shrine, which is undergoing reconstruction under the Waqf Board.
