Begusarai land of 'nationalism', Kanhaiya can't win there: BJP MP

Referring to CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha said people who are 'anti-nationals' and talk about separating Kashmir from India will taste defeat in Bihar's Begusarai, as it is the 'land of nationalism'.

New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha, on Tuesday said CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar will taste defeat in Begusarai as it is the 'land of nationalism'.

Sinha, who hails from Begusarai, spoke exclusively to ETV Bharat after former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, contesting as the CPI candidate, filed his nomination from the constituency for the Lok Sabha election in Bihar.

"Begusarai has always been the land of nationalism. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, who was hailed as a 'Rashtrakavi' (national poet) belonged to this land. This area was also the hotbed of activity during the freedom struggle," Sinha said.

"People who are 'anti-nationals', and speak about separating Kashmir from India cannot win from here. They will definitely taste defeat," he added.

Sinha further alleged that Kanhaiya Kumar and his party CPI were using Begusarai as a 'lab' to conduct their political experiments, which will turn out to be their undoing.

Earlier today, prominent personalities like Jignesh Mevani Shehla Rashid, Gurmehar Kaur, and Teesta Seetalvad were present while Kumar filed his nomination.

Hundreds of people, mostly youths, also joined Kumar during a two-kilometre march on foot, cycle, and two-wheelers waving red flags in the town.

A joint Left candidate, Kanhaiya Kumar will take on Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh in Begusarai. The RJD is set to field Tanweer Hasan, who lost to Bhola Singh of BJP in 2014.

Kanhaiya Kumar, 32, was arrested in February 2016 and accused of sedition for allegedly doing nothing to prevent the raising of anti-India slogans on the JNU campus.

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