Patna, Oct 18 (IANS): Bihar Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday said that his party will not remain silent if the violence erupts due to Union Minister Giriraj Singh's upcoming Hindu Swabhiman Yatra.
Yadav questioned the need for the yatra, asking, “Whom is Giriraj Singh trying to wake up? There is no one in Bihar who’s been asleep. People of Bihar are already aware,” he said.
Yadav emphasised that the people of Bihar desire peace, harmony, and development, not divisive politics, violence, hatred or communal strife.
“The efforts of BJP leaders to create division in society would not succeed in the state. Due to this thinking, the BJP failed to form a government in Bihar solely on its own strength,” Yadav said.
Tejashwi’s statement comes amidst mounting political tensions, with Singh’s Yatra sparking widespread reactions from various parties in Bihar, who fear it may provoke social unrest, especially in the sensitive Seemanchal region.
Tejashwi Yadav, during his visit to Jamui for the Karyakarta Darshan cum Samvad Yatra, took a sharp dig at Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who is starting the Yatra from Bhagalpur on Friday.
Yadav criticised Singh's performance as a minister, remarking that despite being in office for 10 years, "The people of Bihar don’t even know which ministry he holds.”
He suggested that Singh is more interested in stirring controversy than doing meaningful work, stating that if Singh had real achievements, he would have travelled among the people promoting those instead.
Yadav went on to accuse Singh of trying to create division and hatred in society, claiming that his political strategy relies on inciting communal tensions.
He described Singh’s Yatra as an effort to "create violence" rather than focus on development or public welfare.
In a further jab, Yadav recalled that when he was a minister in Bihar, Giriraj Singh, despite being a Union Minister, would write letters to him requesting the construction of roads. This, according to Yadav, highlighted Singh's inability to deliver on his own responsibilities at the central level.
Giriraj Singh is starting his Hindu Swabhiman Yatra from Bhagalpur on Friday and will go to Katihar via Naugachia on Saturday, then proceed to Purnea on October 20, Araria on October 21, and conclude in Kishanganj on October 22.
Singh's decision to travel through these specific districts has sparked controversy due to the religious demographics of the region.
Seemanchal, which includes Katihar, Purnea, Araria, and Kishanganj, has a significant Muslim population, making the Hindu-centric nature of the Yatra a sensitive issue.