Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh has sparked controversy with remarks made at a rally in Arwal on October 18, where he said he did not want the votes of “ namak haram ” (betrayers) while referring to Muslims. His comments went viral on social media the following day.

In the video clip, Mr. Singh criticised members of the minority community for not voting for the BJP despite, he claimed, benefiting from various government schemes.

Recounting a conversation with a cleric, Mr. Singh said, “I asked the cleric if he received the Ayushman card or not, he said yes. Then I asked if there was any discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. He said, ‘No.’ Then I asked, ‘Did you vote for me?’ He said, ‘Yes,’ but when I asked him to swear in the name of Al

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