India politicians are world known for making notorious, mischievous, and cheap statements that create controversies from time to time. However, when it comes to sexist and racist remarks, the issue becomes atrocious and a matter of great concern. The freethinkers and intellectuals are forced to mourn fate of the nation run by morally and ethically bankrupt leaders.
Image Source : TheHindu.Com
The most recent example is BJP MP Giriraj Singh, the Minister of State for micro, small and medium enterprises, who, yet again, stirred a controversy with his racist remarks on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It’s not the first time he had his foot in his mouth. He is a serial offender. Here are his seven most controversial remarks that depict his dopey side.
- White skin remarks on Sonia Gandhi and Late Rajeev Gandhi
Image Source : TheHindu.Com
During a meeting in Bihar’s Hajipur district, Giriraj Singh was caught on camera saying, “Had Rajiv married a Nigerian lady, had she not been fair-skinned, would the Congress have accepted her leadership?”
The real crux of his comment lies in the fact that he projected dark-skinned Nigerian community as an expression for inferiority.
Not only is the Congress party offended by his racist comment, but also the Nigerian community, at large. Giriraj attracted scolding from BJP Chief Amit Shah.
- Modi’s opponents will be packed off to Pakistan
Image Source : InToday.In
During election campaign for BJP in Jharkhan’s Deoghar district, in April 2014, Giriraj Singh delivered a hate speech where he threatened all those who wouldn’t vote for Narendar Modi as India’s PM.
“Pakistan is a hurdle in Narendra Modi’s path of becoming PM, and there are some people in India who are pro-Pakistan. Some are pro-terrorism and their political Mecca-Madina is Pakistan. These people should be in Pakistan, not India.”
BJP was embarrassed once again due to his provoking statement in public. However, the statement was forgotten after higher leadership of the party manipulated it.
- Another hate speech in 2014
Image Source : IndianExpress.Com
Back in 2014, during national election campaign for BJP, Giriraj Singh stirred a controversy thanks to his hate speech where he said, “Isn’t it true that all people caught in terrorist activities belong to one community? I am not trying to blame any one particular community. Why are all so-called secular parties silent on this?”
However, he was booked for this communally provoking statement, but managed to evade arrest and easily got a bail.
- Love jihad remarks
Image Source : NewIndianExpress.Com
After winning only three out of the 11 assembly seats in UP, Giriraj remarked on the causes of the party’s loss that Yogi Adityanath alone wasn’t responsible for Uttar Pradesh debacle. “Many go down in other states by changing stance and allegedly chanting ‘secular. We are bleeding to get secular tag, our job to make people aware of social threat and ‘love jihad’ is one of them, winning or losing is secondary,” Singh said.
Love jihad is a term used by right-wing political parties for a marriage between a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl. The remarks clearly reflected hate towards a religious group. Such remarks amidst communal chaos could have fueled communal violence. However, again, he got away with it easily.
- Insensitive remarks on Peshawar school terror attack
Image Source : IbnLive.In.Com
In December 2014, when Pakistan grieved for 132 children who were killed after Taliban militants attacked an army school in Peshwar, Giriraj Singh mocked at this heinous crime against humanity and tweeted, “Whatever is happening in Pakistan is called friendly fight.”
This insensitive tweet attracted ample criticism from the opposition and the neighboring country within a few minutes of tweeting, which Giriraj had to delete immediately after posting it. Again, his hatred for Pakistan apparently overwhelmed him even when it was about massacre of innocent children.
- Pseudo-secular forces behind Delhi election loss
In February 2015, after a crushing defeat of the BJP in Delhi polls, Giriraj Singh hit the headlines once again for denying the fact that his party had lost elections. And, the reason for the same, in his opinion, was some pseudo-secular forces. “Members of a particular community were polarised before elections,” he further added.
- Burglary embarrassment
Image Source : InToday.In
In July 2014, after an incident of burglary in Giriraj’s house, he told police that only Rs. 50,000 cash was stone by the burglar. Later, when police caught the burglar, a suitcase stuffed with Rs. 11.3 million cash, expensive designer wrist watches and jewelry was recovered. The burglar verified that he stole all of it from the MP’s house, while Singh denied it. Surprisingly, net assets that he had shown while filing nomination were lesser than he had declared.
There was no record of the amount recovered from the burglar; hence, the tax department had to initiate an investigation into the theft and the source of the money recovered. This investigation disappeared sometime, somewhere during the process, and he is still free to embark on a series of controversial racist and communally provoking remarks.
