‘Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya are demands of Indian Sanatanis’

UNION MINISTER and BJP leader Giriraj Singh is again contesting from his Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13. Giriraj speaks about the induction of turncoats into the BJP and the fish row between PM Narendra Modi and the Opposition leaders. Excerpts:

Modi’s attack on Tejshwi Yadav for allegedly eating fish during Navratri has drawn fire from TMC. Your comments?

Mamata Bannerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are nervous and frustrated. They don’t know that in India language and water change as per regional variations. In Bengal, fish-eating is part of the culture of the masses, but in Bihar, to which Tejashwi Yadav belongs, fish isn’t eaten as part of religious ritual.

With the Ram Temple established, what are your views on the two other temple-mosque disputes in Kashi and Mathura?

Had the Congress solved the dispute over the Ram Temple just after Partition and Independence, there would not have been such a long-running court cases. The issue of Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya is the demand of the Sanatanis of India, which the Congress deliberately delayed.

Are you saying that the Opposition should seek an agreement among communities for the Kashi and Mathura temples and advise people against litigation?

This (the delay) was done by those who believe in the politics of appeasement. Muslims taking suchalinewerefarfewerthanpoliticalpartiesengaginginappeasementpolitics.fortheirvotes,they kept these pending.

The Opposition has been demanding a caste census. What is your position

We are not opponents of caste census. But in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen four groups – farmers, youth, women and the poor – to strengthen democracy.

What are your main issues in this election in Bihar.

Our issue is only vikas (development).themainfaceofouropponents is Lalu Yadav, the symbol of jungle raj. Now his son (Tejashwi Prasad Yadav)is trying toclaimthathegaveemployment (to the youth) in 17 months while in government here. He doesn’t say how many jobs were given in the five departments under him.

THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW

GIRIRAJ SINGH UNION MINISTER , BEGUSARAI CANDIDATE