Begusarai:

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said that Bharat Ratna should be conferred upon Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

“Nitish Kumar has worked for the development of the state. Naveen Patnaik has also served Odisha for years. Such people should be honoured with awards like Bharat Ratna,” Giriraj Singh told reporters.

He further said that the NDA government will be formed under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

“NDA government will be formed again in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has been the Chief Minister for so many years. Today’s children who have turned thirty have not seen Lalu ji’s jungle raj,” he added.

On Tuesday, Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly election under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“In the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, the NDA will contest under the leadership of Nitish Kumar,” Ranjan Singh told ANI.

The ruling NDA did well in the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar. Apart from BJP, NDA in Bihar includes JD-U, LJP (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).

Nitish Kumar toppled the Mahagathbandhan government a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election and again formed a government with the BJP.

BJP is senior partner in the NDA in the state. While BJP has 84 MLAs, JD(U) has 48 in the State Assembly.

Notably, the Assembly elections for 243 assembly seats in Bihar are likely to be held at the end of 2025.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Begusarai, Bihar:

A man tried to punch Union Minister Giriraj Singh at a public event in Bihar’s Begusarai today. The incident happened when Mr Singh was conducting a Janata Darbar at his home constituency, around 125 kilometers from state capital Patna. 

When the 71-year-old leader was wrapping up the event, the man seized his microphone and tried to punch him. However, the party workers and security personnel present intervened to save the firebrand leader. 

“When I was leaving the event, the man took the mic forcefully and started behaving as if he was going to attack me. He started raising ‘Murdabad’ slogans. I am not afraid of such attacks, “the minister, who holds the textiles portfolio, said in a video message. 

“I am Giriraj Singh and I will always speak and fight for the interests of the society. Giriraj Singh is not afraid of such things. We will continue to raise our voice against whoever wants to spoil communal harmony,” he added. 

मैं गिरिराज हूँ और मैं हमेशा समाज के हितों के लिए बोलता रहूंगा,संघर्ष करता रहूंगा।
इन हमलों से मैं डरने वाला नहीं।

दाढ़ी-टोपी देखकर उनको पुचकारने और सहलाने वाले लोग आज देख लें कि किस प्रकार बेगुसराय बिहार सहित पूरे देश में लेंड जिहाद-लव जिहाद और साम्प्रदायिक तनाव पैदा किया जा… pic.twitter.com/iqu8ccnGuc

— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) August 31, 2024

The BJP leader, known for his controversial remarks, also said that if the man had a revolver, he would have killed him. 

“If this man had a revolver in his hand, he would have killed me the way he attacked me. However, his attack failed. He used very abusive language. No matter how many terror mongers come, it will not affect me,” Mr Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

Mr Singh claimed that the man was not talking in an appropriate manner.

“He was overpowered by the people who had gathered there. He was handed over to the police later,” the minister said.

Begusarai Superintendent of Police Maneesh told PTI: “The person is in the custody of the police. We are investigating the matter”.

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In June, actor-politician Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a Central Industrial Security Force constable at the Chandigarh airport, allegedly over “disrespecting farmers”. Ms Ranaut, who won the Lok Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, was about to board a flight for Delhi when the incident happened.

CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur was later suspended and an FIR was filed against her. Kulwinder Kaur was then transferred to a reserve battalion of CISF in Bengaluru.