Minister Giriraj Singh says Hindus not safe in Bihar, asks CM Nitish to resign

Further alleging that no action has been taken against the perpetrators so far, Singh demanded a high-level inquiry 'as to what are the reasons for such violence in Hindu festivals'.

Patna:Reacting to the recent incidents of violence at multiple places in Bihar on the occasion of Ram Navami, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday said Hindus are not safe anymore in Bihar and that Bihar Chie Minister Nitish Kumar should resign and rather be called the 'CM of Muslims'.

"Such a big incident happened in CM Nitish Kumar's home district Nalanda as well as in Sasaram, and he is not even aware of it. He should resign voluntarily if he is unaware of something as serious as this. Hindus are being tortured in their own state. They have started feeling insecure. Nitish Kumar might as well call himself the CM of only Muslims," Giriraj Singh said while speaking to a group of reporters on Sunday.

Singh also criticized the opposition leaders in Bihar who called the attack a conspiracy by the BJP. "Nitish Kumar was rather popular as 'Palturam' (person who is not a man of his words) once. But now even the other members of his party have become Palturams. Even the government officials who work for his government are lying now. But the media has completely exposed them," he alleged, deeming Nitish incapable of providing security to the public.

Further alleging that no action has been taken against the perpetrators so far, Singh demanded a high-level inquiry 'as to what are the reasons for such violence in Hindu festivals'.

Speaking on similar lines, BJP leader Kapil Mishra said that in the coming times, there will be a three-day holiday on Ram Navami. "We will need one day for celebrating the festival and two days for ointment and treatment after the violence that unfolds." He was addressing the inaugural session of a program in Jaipur.

Violence erupted at several places in Biharsharif on Saturday night killing one person and severely injuring another. The officials there imposed Section 144 in the affected areas, even as they arrested around 45 people in the connection so far. The series of violent attacks began after two groups in Bihar's Sasaram clashed during a Ram Navami procession on Thursday evening, injuring 5 people.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who was scheduled to address a gathering at Sashastra Seema Bal's Patna Frontier on Sunday, cancelled the event last moment because of the violent incidents. He however reached Nawada to address a rally on Sunday, stating that 'the district is peaceful and unaffected by disturbances elsewhere'.