Bageshwar Baba's 'Hindu Rashtra' remark, individual opinion: Chirag Pawan

Patna, Mar 11 (PTI) Union minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday said the advocacy of "Hindu Rashtra" by religious leader Acharya Dhirendra Shastri alias Bageshwar Baba was an "individual opinion with which a section of the country's population agreed".

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president, however, made it clear that the country would be run "as per the Constitution" and rubbished the opposition's criticism of Baba as "appeasement" politics.

"What Bageshwar Baba has said in Bihar he has said many times before. It is an individual opinion with which a section of the country's population. It is natural for religious leaders to desire that politics is run as per the tenets they believe in. And the followers of these religious leaders share the same view", Paswan told reporters here.

The Hajipur MP added, "But the country will be run as per the Constitution. However, I must point out that the opposition here, led by the RJD, is trying to stoke a controversy, as it suits their politics of appeasement".

"It is very unfortunate that for a number of political parties, any mention of Hindus serves as an opportunity to create noise. These parties should realise that they are giving rise to an imbalance along religious lines (dharmik asantulan)", alleged the Union minister.

Paswan was also asked about BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul's controversial remark that Muslims "stay indoors" if they have a problem with colours which Hindus use during Holi festival. The remark had drawn flak from Tejashwi Yadav, who had asserted that Bihar was "not ruled by the father" ('baap ka raaj nahin hai') of Bachaul.

The LJP(RV) chief replied sarcastically, saying "Yes it is not anybody's father's rule. But some people do believe that all belongs to their family".

The allusion was to Yadav's party RJD, which is headed by his father Lalu Prasad and is controlled by a number of family members, including his mother Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, and his siblings.

Paswan also suggested that the BJP leader may have made the remark "in line with the Hindus' regard for composite culture which finds its best expression in Holi. It is a festival in which all people are welcome to take part and those who are uncomfortable are allowed their own space. The opposition is trying to give a wrong interpretation".

Paswan also sneered at the Congress, which has decided to take out a "pada-yatra" across Bihar from March 16 to highlight the problem of migration.

The 42-year-old said, "It was during the RJD's 15-year-long misrule that people were forced to move out of Bihar. I keep meeting such migrants. My party's mission of Bihar First Bihari First is aimed at bringing such migrants back. Thankfully, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also shares the sentiment. But the Congress should disclose whether, by speaking of migration, it was targeting its own alliance partner in Bihar".

Paswan maintained, "There will soon be a battle for supremacy (varchasva ki ladaai) between Congress and RJD and the two parties will not contest the upcoming assembly elections together. The Congress seems to have realised that it has nothing to lose in Bihar where it may end up winning more seats if it fights solo, than it could bag as RJD's junior ally".

A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Paswan also expressed delight over the warm welcome accorded to the latter during an ongoing tour of Mauritius, where "a large number of people have their roots in Bihar". PTI NAC RG