“Namak Haraam” — A searing editorial on Bihar’s election politics, where hate and communal rhetoric replace development. Giri Raj Singh’s remarks show how “Namak Haraam” politics has become India’s new language of power.
By Qalam Times News Network
Patna | October 22, 2025
“Namak Haraam”: When Hate Wins Over Humanity
Bihar’s election season has once again turned toxic, caught in the whirlwind of hate instead of hope. Politicians have replaced development and welfare with religion, division, and anger as their campaign core. Union Minister Giri Raj Singh’s latest statement — “We don’t want the votes of Namak Haraams” — is not just moral decay on display, it’s a reflection of a political psychology that feeds on division rather than progress.
Giri Raj Singh’s “Namak Haraam” remark isn’t a random slip in campaign heat — it’s part of a larger, older pattern that’s been eating away at India’s democratic conscience for years. This isn’t about one man’s rage; it’s about a culture of prejudice that’s been normalized inside power. Singh isn’t a local provocateur — he’s a Union Minister. His words carry weight. When he labels an entire community “Namak Haraam,” it’s not a rhetorical flourish — it’s a revelation of how power itself now equates dissent with betrayal and faith with loyalty.
The Legacy of “Namak Haraam” Politics
This isn’t new. In 2020, in Purnea, the same Giri Raj Singh said that “all Muslims should have been sent to Pakistan during Partition.” To him, even after seven decades of shared nation-building, India’s Muslims remain suspect. And yet — no reprimand, no apology, no accountability. The government’s silence, deliberate and deep, becomes a tacit approval.
That silence is strategic. When the Prime Minister himself has spoken in rallies about “infiltrators” or “those who have too many children,” when he once said rioters “can be identified by their clothes,” leaders like Giri Raj Singh understand that Namak Haraam politics isn’t just tolerated — it’s rewarded. This is the engine of polarization: outrage as policy, hate as campaign fuel.
Fear and Numbers: The Electoral Equation
Muslims make up about 17% of Bihar’s electorate — enough to sway results. Singh’s “Namak Haraam” comment is born out of political fear: if BJP can’t win Muslim votes, it must harden Hindu consolidation. And the tried-and-tested formula still works — invent a threat, spark emotion, drown the debate. Jobs, education, healthcare all vanish behind identity wars.
Yogi Adityanath has done his share too — dragging the burqa into the campaign and accusing opposition parties of “fake Muslim voting.” This isn’t just about religion; it’s about shrinking the space for constitutional freedom. The “development vs. burqa” debate conveniently buries talk of equality, justice, and real governance.
Opposition’s Hollow Anger
RJD and Congress demanded Giri Raj Singh’s resignation. They know it’s symbolic. In modern Indian politics, communalism isn’t a stigma — it’s a strategy. Hate is no longer shameful — it’s profitable. Namak Haraam politics has become the easiest way to buy outrage, attention, and votes.
And where are the Muslim representatives within the BJP — those presented as the “inclusive” faces of the party? Will they speak up, or will silence save their careers? Most will likely stay quiet, because in today’s political climate, questioning power is treated as betrayal — the very word Namak Haraam turned back on them.
What “Namak Haraam” Really Means
Let’s be clear: Giri Raj Singh’s “Namak Haraam” line isn’t just hate speech — it’s psychological warfare. It delegitimizes citizenship, turns neighbors into suspects, and seeps into daily discourse until hate feels normal. This isn’t an election strategy anymore — it’s a social infection.
So, the real question: can humanity be traded for power? Can a democracy decide who “deserves” to vote based on faith? If not, then ministers like Giri Raj Singh must be held accountable not just politically but morally. Because when the word Namak Haraam falls from the lips of power, it leaves a stench that outlasts elections — it poisons the very salt of the soil.
