India is only safe country for minorities: MoS Nityananda Rai on RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui's statement

Days after former Bihar minister and RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that India is not safe for minorities, Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai today said that India is the only country where minorities are safe. Speaking to the media, Rai said, "As the MoS Home, I am stating with emphasis that India is the only country where everyone including the minority communities is safe."

Earlier, speaking at a party gathering, Siddiqui had said that he asked his children to settle abroad given the current social environment in India. "I have a son and a daughter. My son is studying at Harvard. My daughter has graduated from the London School of Economics. Given the environment in the country, I asked my children to take up some jobs there and if possible, accept citizenship of that country. I told them the environment in India is not conducive (for minorities) and it's not sure whether they will be able to cope with it. Now you can understand that how much pain a person suffers when he asks his children to leave his motherland," said Siddiqui.

Siddiqui's remark has created a row as BJP leaders jumped to target him. BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said that if the RJD leader is not feeling safe in India, he can settle in Pakistan. Nikhil said that Siddiqui is a close aide of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his utterances are reflective of RJD's culture of Muslim appeasement.

"RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui is enjoying privileges as a citizen & political leader but spitting venom against India. Siddiqui has sent his son & daughter abroad to study but playing the victim card to provoke Muslims here and survive in politics," said Nikhil.

Later talking to ANI, Siddiqui said that 'Go To Pakistan' has become the cheapest abuse. He said that Pakistan may be the father-grandfather of those who say it but for Indian Muslims, Hindustan is their everything.