Giriraj Singh Sparks Row Over Burqa Voter Verification; Chirag Paswan Calls It ‘Unnecessary Communalisation’

Patna: As polling continued in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh stirred controversy with his remarks urging strict identification checks for burqa-clad women voters to prevent alleged voter impersonation. His comments, seen by many as provocative, quickly drew sharp political reactions.

Speaking to the media after casting his vote, Singh emphasized that election laws must be applied equally to all, asserting that India is a secular nation. “This is India — the Election Commission’s rules must be followed. When women wearing burqas go to make Aadhaar cards, travel through airports, or collect government benefits, they lift their veils for identification. Why should the same not happen during voting? Is this Pakistan or Bangladesh? India is a secular country,” he said.

Singh’s statement, suggesting that ‘Sharia law will not be implemented in Bihar’, sparked outrage among opposition leaders and civil society groups who accused him of trying to polarize voters on religious lines amid polling.

Reacting to the remarks, Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan distanced himself from Singh’s statement, calling it “an unnecessary attempt to create a Hindu-Muslim issue.” He appealed to citizens to focus on voting rather than divisive politics, urging, “I request everyone to come out and vote in large numbers. Let Bihar witness record voter participation in this festival of democracy.”