Bihar Holi Row: The festival of colour Holi and Friday prayers fall on the same day this year and thus there have been concerns over the law and order situation. Days after Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath backed Sambhal CO who asked Muslims to stay indoors on Holi if they are afraid of colours, a similar statement was made by Bihar BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul.
However, his remark drew sharp criticism from Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav who even urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to file an FIR against him.
“I want to appeal to Muslims there are 52 jummas (Fridays) in a year. The one this week coincides with Holi. So, they should let Hindus celebrate the festival and not take offence if colours are smeared on them. If they have such a problem, they should stay indoors. This is essential for maintaining communal harmony,” said Bachaul, the MLA from Bisfi assembly.
The MLA further said, “They (Muslims) have always had double standards. They are happy to make money by setting up stalls selling abir-gulaal (coloured powders), but if a few stains land on their clothes, they start fearing dozakh (hell).”
However, in a sharp retort, Tejashwi reminded Bachaul, “It is not his father’s rule (baap ka raj). There should be an FIR against him for trying to whip up communal tension”.
The RJD leader further added, “Bachaul should remember this is Bihar, where designs of RSS-BJP and Sangh Parivar have often been foiled. He thinks he can strike terror into our Muslim brethren. But ours is a land where every single Muslim would be protected by at least five to six Hindus.”
ई बिहार है बिहार! यहाँ एक-एक मुसलमान के समर्थन और सुरक्षा में पाँच-पाँच हिंदू खड़ा है। संविधान का मखौल मत उड़ाओं, अपनी हद और औकात में रहो।
जब तक बिहार में राजद और लालू जी के विचार को मानने वाले लोग हैं। हम कोई दंगा नहीं होने देंगे। चाहे इसके बदले सत्ता मिले या सत्ता चली जाए।… pic.twitter.com/VtIx4eoh4t
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 10, 2025
Reacting to BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul’s appeal to Muslims to stay indoors on Holi, Congress MLA Anand Shankar said, “The way monsters would interfere in ‘havan’, ‘puja’ in ancient times, at present, such people are the people of BJP, they interfere in festivals, try to divide people on religion, caste, take political benefit, and that is how they function. This country runs through the Constitution and if it is so, they should not speak such things. I urge the CM to take cognisance and take action.”
However, state minority affairs minister and JD(U) leader Zama Khan asserted that ‘there will be no untoward incident. The administration has been clearly instructed to ensure harmony during the festive season’.