'This isn't Pakistan; make suspicious burqa-clad-voters show face': Giriraj Singh
What's the story
As Bihar votes for 121 Assembly seats in the first phase of elections on Thursday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh commented on women wearing burqas, stating that if there are any doubts about their identity while voting, their faces will be revealed. "This is India...the Election Commission's rules apply here," he said.
Burqa debate
Is this Pakistan or Bangladesh, asks Singh
Speaking to the media after casting his vote in Barahiya, Singh justified his suggestion, saying, "When a woman in a burqa goes to get Aadhaar card made...to the airport, make a reservation, doesn't she lift it? When she goes to receive government benefits, doesn't she lift it?" He further said, "Is this Pakistan or Bangladesh...an Islamic country or a secular country? This is a secular country. If anyone has doubts here, we will make them show their face."
Twitter Post
Watch his comments here
VIDEO | Bihar Elections 2025: Union Minister Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) says, "This is India, the Election Commission's rules apply here, right? When a woman in a burqa goes to get an Aadhaar card made, she doesn't lift it? When she goes to the airport, she doesn't lift it?… pic.twitter.com/QSgQ8ddV0t
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2025
State
Election goal
Singh also stated that the Bihar election was about promoting social harmony and development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "The issue is simple: social harmony in Bihar, development in Bihar between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, upliftment of the poor, and the biggest one is jungle raj versus development. Lalu ji's agenda is to spoil social harmony," he said.
Election update
First phase of Bihar elections begins
The first phase of voting for 121 Assembly seats in Bihar began on Thursday morning at 7:00am and will end at 5:00pm. Over 3.75 crore voters are expected to cast their votes in this phase, deciding the fate of 1,314 candidates. Voting is being held at 45,341 polling stations across Bihar in this phase. The majority of these (36,733) are located in rural areas. The election is being held under tight security arrangements across the state.
Election highlights
Key candidates and constituencies in 1st phase
Notable candidates include Tejashwi Yadav from the INDIA bloc and BJP's Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary. Other key constituencies include Mahua, where Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting against RJD MLA Mukesh Raushan, and Siwan, where Mangal Pandey faces RJD's Awadh Bihari Chaudhary. The second phase of voting on November 11 will cover the remaining 122 constituencies.