Pradeep Singh, a BJP MP from Bihar’s Araria Lok Sabha seat, sparked uproar on Tuesday by saying that the locals should convert to Hinduism if they want to reside in Araria.

“If people want to live in Araria, they need to convert to Hinduism. At a rally in Araria during the Hindu Swabhiman Yatra, which was headed by Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Pradeep Singh said, “They should then marry people of the same caste.”

A sizable crowd attended the yatra and avidly listened to Giriraj Singh and Pradeep Singh’s speeches.

Dilip Jaiswal, the state president of the BJP, had previously said that the party has disassociated itself from the Union Minister Yatra.

Jaiswal said that the BJP had not planned the Yatra and that Giriraj Singh was leading it in his own right.

Pradeep Singh’s remarks might intensify conversations about politics and religious identity in Bihar, while Giriraj Singh is renowned for his extreme stance.

The Hindu Swabhiman Yatra led by Giriraj Singh is scheduled to end in Kishanganj on Tuesday after starting in Bhagalpur on October 18.

His comments are especially controversial since Araria has a significant Muslim population, as do other districts in the Seemanchal area, including Katihar, Purnea, and Kishanganj.

Given that the Seemanchal region is renowned for its religious plurality, such remarks might incite communal conflicts in the area.

The Hindu Swabhiman Yatra has a political undertone since it takes place just before the November 13 by-elections in Bihar. Even though the Yatra is portrayed as a cultural-religious movement, it has a big political impact, especially in these mixed-population regions.

The Yatra’s emphasis on Hindu identity might be seen as an effort to increase the Hindu vote in these regions, where the Muslim population is very important to the election process.