'No need to go to Pakistan, Indians should remain in India'

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that Indians should remain in India, while commenting on Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's recent remark that those who want to eat beef should go to Pakistan.

Singh was interacting with the media after speaking about the Narendra Modi government's one year in office when a reporter asked him whether Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was sitting just next to him during the programme, was having a problem with Naqvi on his Pakistan comment.

"No, there is no problem. All Indians should remain in India," the home minister added.

Rijiju, who sat on the dais with Singh, didn't say a word and kept smiling.

On Tuesday in Aizawl, Rijiju, while reacting to Naqvi's statement, was quoted by the media as saying: "I eat beef. I am from Arunachal Pradesh. Can somebody stop me? So let us not be touchy about somebody's practices."

Later on Wednesday, Rijiju had issued a statement that he was "misquoted" while commenting on a statement of ministerial colleague Naqvi on meat-eating habits of people.