New Delhi: A Union minister has declared he does not want the votes of the “namak haram,” or the ungrateful, in a remark that appears to be aimed at Muslims weeks before the Bihar assembly elections, triggering widespread political condemnation.

Giriraj Singh, the BJP’s MP from Begusarai, told a poll rally in Arwal district on Saturday that citizens who accept government welfare have a moral obligation to vote for the ruling party. He appeared to use the term for Muslims who benefit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schemes but do not support the BJP.

In a video of the speech, Singh recounted an alleged conversation with a cleric. “So I told him that one who doesn’t acknowledge help is called a namak haram,” the minister is heard saying. 

“I told him, ‘Maulvi Saheb, I don’t want the votes of the namak haram’,” he said.

Despite facing criticism on Sunday (October 19), Singh stood by his remarks, telling reporters he meant only to highlight that government welfare schemes were non-discriminatory. 

The comments drew immediate fire. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut demanded the minister's removal, asking, "If someone doesn’t vote for you, does that make them namak haram?" 

The Bihar Congress called Singh “mentally unstable.”

The BJP’s main ally in Bihar, the Janata Dal (United), offered a more cautious response. Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan said voters “make decisions beyond such comments,” while another party leader defended Singh.

The minister’s statement was the most high-profile of several communally charged incidents involving BJP leaders over the weekend.

In Pune, on Sunday, Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni led a protest organised by the Patit Pavan Sanghatna and other Hindu outfits at the historic Shaniwarwada fort. 

After a video showed Muslim women offering prayers at the site, Kulkarni and activists “purified” the spot with cow urine and performed a Hindu ritual.

“We will not allow ‘namaz’ in Shaniwarwada, Hindu community has now become awakened,” she tweeted before the protest. She later defended the action, stating, “It is a symbol of Hindavi Swaraj… We cannot allow anyone to offer namaz here. It is not a mosque.”

The move was slammed by political opponents as an attempt to polarise voters ahead of local civic polls. Sachin Sawant of the Maharashtra Congress noted the fort’s diverse history, adding, “The BJP MP is also protesting against the ‘dargah’ outside Shaniwarwada. When the Peshwas had no problem, what is her problem?”

Separately, a video showed BJP leader Pragya Thakur urging parents to use violence to control their daughters. She warned that girls welcomed as "Lakshmi or Saraswati" grow up to become “mianin” (a derogatory term for a Muslim man's wife).

“Strengthen your mind, and make it so strong that if our daughter does not obey us, if she goes to a non-believer’s house, leave no stone unturned in considering breaking her legs,” Thakur said. 

She added that parents should not “step back” from beating their children for their own good.

These incidents come as Bihar prepares for elections, with the first phase of polling on November 6, the second on November 11, and counting on November 14.

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