Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s remarks on the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi at an Iftar in Patna appeared to widen the rift in the ruling NDA in Bihar, with several politicians reacting sharply to the comments. Reacting to Mr. Singh’s remark, Mr. Kumar remarked to reporters, “Isiliye ye sab karte hain, taaki aap log news banayiye (he [Mr. Singh] does these things so that you can make news of it)”. And his deputy and senior State BJP leader Mr. Modi asserted, “There is no rift in the NDA…we celebrate both Iftar and Holi with equal zest and we feel proud of being Hindu”. With Mr. Singh’s remarks proving to be an embarrassment to the State BJP, it was left to Mr. Shah to intervene. The BJP President had admonished the Begusarai MP and asked him to refrain from making statements, PTI reported, citing a BJP leader.

Source: The Hindu June 04, 2019 14:12 UTC