Indian minister calls Muslims ‘betrayers’ in hate-filled speech
Giriraj Singh, senior leader in Modi’s BJP, uses the slur ‘namak haram’—meaning traitor—to denounce Muslim voters, triggering nationwide outrage
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A senior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has drawn condemnation after describing Muslims as “namak haram”—a Hindi–Urdu term meaning “betrayer” or “ungrateful”—during a political rally, in remarks widely condemned as hate speech aimed at polarising voters.
Giriraj Singh, a cabinet minister and prominent figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made the comments on October 18 while addressing supporters in Arwal, a district in eastern India’s Bihar state, at an election event attended by the chief minister of Gujarat.
In a viral video from the rally, Singh can be heard abusing Muslims for allegedly failing to support the BJP despite, as he claimed, benefiting from government welfare schemes.
According to the Indian media, Singh told the crowd that he had spoken to a local Muslim cleric who admitted receiving state benefits but had not voted for him. “Those who do not acknowledge favours are called namak haram,” he said, adding, “We do not want the votes of betrayers.”
Opposition parties and civil society groups accused Singh of openly promoting anti-Muslim hatred ahead of state elections. Bihar’s opposition party The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) demanded his immediate removal from the Union Cabinet, calling the remarks a reflection of the BJP’s “politics of division.”
RJD spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta said, “This is how the BJP seeks to communalise every election. Such leaders are rewarded, not punished.”
RJD legislator Mritunjay Tiwari called the speech part of a “long pattern of provocation,” recalling that Singh previously threatened to send non-BJP voters to Pakistan. “The BJP cannot contest an election without playing the Hindu–Muslim card,” he said.
Even the BJP’s ally in the state of Bihar, the Janata Dal (United), distanced itself from the statement. Its chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, who attended the same rally, said Singh’s words were “contrary to the government’s policy” and “deeply regrettable.”
Independent observers say the use of “namak haram”—a phrase historically used to label someone disloyal or treacherous—has a loaded meaning in India’s communal politics, where it often functions as a slur against Muslims accused of lacking patriotism.
Analysts view the episode as emblematic of how Hindutva politics normalises hostility toward India’s 200 million Muslims, portraying them as outsiders despite their equal citizenship.
Human rights groups have warned that such rhetoric is becoming increasingly mainstream under the Modi government, where ministers and party officials frequently resort to dog-whistle speeches to mobilise Hindu voters.
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