Bihar Row Erupts: Man Who Abused PM Modi Arrested, BJP Tears Into Congress-RJD

Darbhanga: A major political controversy has broken out in poll-bound Bihar after police arrested Rafeeq alias Raja, the man accused of hurling abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Darbhanga. The arrest followed a complaint lodged at Simri Police Station on Thursday after a video of the incident went viral on social media, drawing sharp reactions from across the political spectrum.

The abusive remarks were allegedly made during an event organised by Congress leader Mohammad Naushad on Wednesday, where PM Modi and his late mother were targeted. The video of the incident triggered a storm, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounting a fierce attack on the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Union Home Minister Amit Shah condemned the episode, calling it “a stain on democracy.” In a post on X, Shah said, “The use of abusive language filled with expletives against the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother from the Congress and RJD platform in Darbhanga, Bihar, is not only condemnable but also a stain on our democracy.”

BJP president JP Nadda also lashed out, directly blaming Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, stating, “This is also a disregard for Bihar’s culture on the soil of Bihar by two princes who have crossed all limits of indecency. Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav should immediately apologise for this heinous act.” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined in, calling the incident “extremely shameful.” Several other BJP leaders and chief ministers echoed similar sentiments, demanding an unconditional apology from the Congress.

Under pressure, Mohammad Naushad issued an apology but claimed he was not present at the event when the abuses were hurled. However, the Congress attempted to push back, with party spokesman Asit Nath Tiwari arguing that it is the BJP that has normalized abusive politics. He said, “It is not our party, but the BJP, which is known for gali-galauj. There is so much resentment against the ruling NDA that people have begun venting spleen from podiums. Still, we stop the people from doing so and explain to them that such behaviour is the BJP’s wont, not that of the Congress.”