Tejashwi Yadav, the head of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party, made a contentious remark during a rally in April, and the Patna High Court in Bihar has declared that it will look into it. As a result of Yadav’s remark that “only Gujaratis can be thugs,” there was indignation, charges of prejudice, and encouragement to violence against Gujaratis.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member who submitted the case said that Yadav’s statement violated the Indian Penal Code and could promote violence against people from Gujarat. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 20.
During the hearing, the court ordered an inquiry into the matter and directed the state’s police chief to submit a report on the incident. Yadav has defended his statement, saying that it was made in the context of a larger argument about the alleged links between the ruling party in Gujarat, the BJP, and incidents of violence against minorities.
Politicians from the BJP and other opposition parties have accused Yadav of attempting to polarise the public along regional and communal lines as a result of the incident. The RJD has insisted that Yadav’s remarks were misinterpreted and that he was only referring to a small group of Gujarati citizens who were reportedly engaged in criminal activity.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is in power and is led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has been vying for reflection in Bihar’s ongoing assembly elections. On November 10, the election results are expected to be made public. The BJP and other parties are expected to use the controversy over Yadav’s statement to attack the RJD and its leader throughout the election campaign.