Union Minister Lalan Singh Sparks Row Over ‘Lock Opposition Leader at Home’ Remark; FIR Registered

Patna: In a major political storm ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, Janata Dal (United) leader and Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, has courted controversy after a video surfaced showing him allegedly urging supporters to prevent an Opposition leader from leaving his home on polling day.

While campaigning in support of jailed JD(U) candidate Anant Singh in Mokama constituency, Lalan Singh can be heard saying in Hindi, “Voting ke din virodhi neta ko ghar se nikalne nahi dena hai! Ghar mein pack kar dena hai, agar zyada haath pair jodega toh apne saath le ja kar vote girane dena hai.”

The video quickly went viral on social media, triggering a wave of outrage from Opposition parties. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) accused the JD(U) leader of undermining the democratic process and questioned the Election Commission’s silence on the matter. Sharing the video on its official handle, the RJD wrote,“Union Minister Lalan Singh, whilst running a bulldozer over the chest of the Election Commission, is saying that the poor should not be allowed to step out of their homes on voting day! Where is the dead commission?”

The Congress party also slammed the BJP-JD(U) alliance, alleging that such remarks reveal the alliance’s “authoritarian mindset.” In a statement, Congress said, “Those who are going to vote against BJP-JDU, don’t let them step out of their homes on election day. Will the ‘impartial’ Election Commission take any action on this, or continue shielding ruling party leaders?”

Amid mounting criticism, the Patna District Magistrate took swift action, confirming that an FIR had been filed against Lalan Singh. “The video footage was examined by the video surveillance team, and following the investigation, an FIR has been registered against Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Representation of the People Act,” the Patna DM’s official handle posted on social media.