Yet another jumla: Sibal slams Shah over no riots under BJP rule remark

Retorting to the HM's remarks, Sibal put out data on Twitter citing National Crime Records Bureau and said that "communal riots" have taken place in states like UP and MP which are BJP-rule states

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his "riots don't take place under our rule" remark in Bihar, and dubbed it as "yet another jumla".

Shah was addressing a public meeting during his visit to Bihar's Hisua where he urged people to form the BJP government in the state in the 2025 Assembly elections following which the government would "hang the rioters upside down".

"The rioters have had a free run in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif. Give full majority to PM Modi in 2024 elections and elect a BJP government in 2025 state elections. Rioters will be hung upside down. Riots don't take place under our rule," Shah said.

Retorting to the Home Minister's remarks, Sibal put out data on Twitter citing National Crime Records Bureau and said that "communal riots" have taken place in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which are the BJP-ruled states.

"Amit Shah : "Riots don't take place under our rule". Yet another jumla. 5415 communal riots reported between 2014-2020 ( NCRB data ). 2019 alone - 25 communal riots - UP(9), Maharashtra (4), MP(2). Communal violence: Haryana(2021) highest cases Gujarat Madhya Pradesh (April, 2022)," Sibal tweeted.

Clashes were reported on March 31 in Nalanda's Biharsharif and Sasaram in Rohtas district where Shah was scheduled to visit.

However, Shah's visit to Sasaram in Bihar's Rohtas was called off due to the imposition of Section 144 following clashes in the district.

"I was supposed to go to Sasaram but due to unfortunate situations people are being killed there, bullets are fired and tear-gas shelling is happening. I will come to Sasaram surely during my next visit," Shah said on Sunday, adding that there is no point in speaking with the state government in Bihar regarding the clashes.

"I pray to god that peace is restored at the earliest in the state. There's no point in speaking with the state government here, when I called the Governor then Lalan Singh (JDU president) got offended," Shah said.

He further hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying, "The government, which has jungle raj's Lalu Prasad Yadav's party, can it ever bring peace in Bihar? Nitish Kumar sat in the lap of Lalu Prasad Yadav because of hunger for power and we will uproot the 'Mahagathbandhan' government."

The Union Minister also said that Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar always practised the policy of appeasement, which helped terrorism flourish.

"On the other hand, PM Modi scrapped Article 370 and dealt with terrorists sternly," he added.

"Nitish Kumar won't become Prime Minister. People of the country have decided that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister of the country for the third time. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this government will collapse and BJP will form the government," Home Minister said.