New Delhi/Patna: Hours after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition rebuked Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Haribhushan Thakur’s appeal to Muslim community members to stay indoors, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal on March 11 said that everyone should celebrate the festival of Holi together.
“Everyone should celebrate Holi together…People from all religions should celebrate the festival properly, and everyone should also take care of the society…” Jaiswal told ANI.
Meanwhile Union Minister Giriraj Singh also lashed out at Tejashwi Yadav following his remarks on BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur’s statement.
Singh said that Yadav was filled with “arrogance” because as the son of former chief ministers Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi it is “monarchy” and not democracy.
“Tejashwi Yadav is filled with arrogance because for them this is not democracy but monarchy. He didn’t come into politics by struggling. He is the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav and this is reputation. Even Ravan’s arrogance was broken, who is Tejashwi and Lalu Yadav…” Singh said while speaking to reporters.
Yadav had retorted to Haribhushan Thakur’s appeal to Muslims to “stay indoors” with – “Baap ka raaj hai kya.”
Yadav slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not taking action against a BJP MLA for purportedly appealing to Muslims to “stay indoors” on the festival of Holi. The RJD leader said that the Chief Minister was in an “unconscious state’ and did not call out the BJP MLA for his controversial statement.
Addressing media persons on Monday, Yadav said, “A BJP MLA said that Muslim brothers should not come out during Holi. Who is he to give a statement like this, where is the state’s Chief Minister? In which state is he? When women raise issues on their rights and safety, then the CM does not hold back to scold them, the Dalit women and the backward classes. Does the CM have the courage to scold this BJP MLA? Where is he? He is in an unconscious state.”
He claimed that the BJP has a strong influence on its NDA ally JDU, stating, “There is a lot of BJP and Sangh influence on JDU; pure Sangh aur BJP ke rang mein JDU aa chuka hai.”
Yadav emphasised Bihar’s inclusive spirit, declaring it as a state that honors both Ram and Rahim. He highlighted the unity among the people and said that regardless of political outcomes, the RJD will continue to uphold the values of Lalu Yadav’s ideology and the Constitution.
“This country is a country that thinks about both Ram and Rahim. This is Bihar, where four Hindu brothers stand to protect one Muslim. Whether we get power or lose it, unless we have our party and people who believe in Lalu Yadav’s ideologies and the Constitution, till then we will not let them achieve their (BJP) agenda,” said Yadav.
This comes after BJP MLA from Bifsi constituency Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, sparked a controversy appealing to the members of Muslim community to either stay indoors or come out with a big heart on Holi, which coincides with a Friday during Ramzan.
#BreakingNews | तेजस्वी के बयान पर BJP विधायक का पलटवार..कहा-"मेरा बाप सजायाफ्ता नहीं,ना चारा खाया"#Bihar #BiharElections #BJP #TejashwiYadav pic.twitter.com/EAVrzpkj3j
— India TV (@indiatvnews) March 11, 2025
Meanwhile replying to Tejashwi Yadav, the BJP MLA on Tuesday said “Bachaul is a member of Bihar legislative assembly from Bifsi constituency and a man who is honest and ready to die for the people of Bihar, not a corrupt or scammer”.
The BJP MLA also trained guns on RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, stating that his father is neither a convict nor he has been jailed.
“My father is not a convict nor he has been jailed, it was his father who used to say that Jharkhand will be created on his death body, every child of Bihar will be behind him and there will be bloodbath if he was jailed, my father never said that,” added the BJP MLA
(With inputs from ANI)
