Begusarai, (Bihar) [India], October 29 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday fired a salvo at opposition leaders in Bihar, accusing them of promoting dynastic politics, while campaigning in Begusarai for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.
Shah alleged that RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav wants his son to become the Chief Minister, while Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants her son to become the Prime Minister. However, Shah pointed out that neither post is currently vacant, implying that Nitish Kumar is the current CM of Bihar and Narendra Modi is the PM of India.
"Lalu ji wants his son to become the Chief Minister and Sonia Gandhi wants her son to become the Prime Minister. I want to say this to Sonia ji and Lalu ji- 'Bihar mein na CM pad khali hai, Delhi mein PM pad khali hai. Aapke beto ka number nahi lagne wala hai," said Shah.
The Union Home Minister also questioned the inclusion of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators in the state's voter list. He vowed to remove these infiltrators if the BJP wins all four seats in the constituency.
"Rahul Baba had come here a month and a half ago. Now, after a month, he has come again today. When he came earlier, he had taken out a 'Ghuspaithiya Bachao Yatra'. Today I have come to ask the people of Begusarai, should Bangladeshi infiltrators be included in the Bihar price payer list?" Shah said, addressing a public gathering in Begusarai.
He accused RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of supporting such individuals and vowed if all four BJP candidates win, the party will "select and remove every infiltrator" from Bihar.
"Both Lalu and Rahul became protectors of Bangladeshi infiltrators. But today I am leaving with a promise to you that if you elect all four of our candidates, the BJP will do the work of selecting and removing every infiltrator from the land of Bihar..." he added.
Shah accused Lalu and Rahul Gandhi of protecting these infiltrators and warned of the Popular Front of India (PFI)'s activities in Bihar, aiming to make it an "Islamic state".
Amit Shah said that PFI was "flourishing" in Bihar, aiming to make it an "Islamic state" and accused Lalu and Rahul Gandhi of protecting the infiltrators.
Amit Shah said nationwide raids led to arrests of PFI members, calling the group "anti-national" and asking voters in Begusarai if they wanted those detained to be released.
"PM Modi made a decision; by conducting raids at 100 places in the country, PFI members were picked up and put behind bars. People of Begusarai, do you want to get the PFI members released from jail? PFI was an organisation with anti-national tendencies. PM Modi banned PFI," he said.
Since its nationwide ban in September 2022, the Popular Front of India (PFI) has been dismantled in Bihar, though central and state agencies continue to bust clandestine networks of its members. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has particularly focused on the "Phulwari Sharif case," a key module of PFI's activities in the state.
In July 2022, Bihar police registered a case in the Phulwari Sharif area of Patna after uncovering a training camp with PFI documents detailing a plot to establish an Islamic state in India by 2047. The investigation was later handed over to the NIA.
The NIA also uncovered a plot by PFI members to cause disturbances during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Patna in July 2022.
Evidence collected showed that PFI cadres in the state were being trained in physical and ideological indoctrination to raise an army for "waging a war against the country."
Investigators also found that PFI members were involved in recruiting and radicalising Muslim youth to carry out acts of terror and violence.
The government cited extensive evidence, including video materials and testimony from over 100 witnesses, to justify the ban. It claimed connections between PFI and other proscribed groups such as ISIS, SIMI, and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), along with involvement in financing terrorism, executing targeted killings, and destabilising public order. Following the crackdown in September 2022, more than 150 individuals reportedly linked to PFI were detained across India.
The 2025 Bihar Elections will see a contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, includes the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's VIP.
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has staked claims to all 243 seats in the state.
The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14.