The RJD leader's comments were endorsed by the party's ally, the Janata Dal (United).
India is the only country where everyone is safe, minorities are also safe, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai today said in response to a recent remark by Abdul Bari Siddiqui, national general secretary of Tejashwi Yadav's party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), that he has advised his children to get jobs abroad and settle there.
"I wish to cite a personal example to highlight the country's atmosphere (desh ka jo mahaul hai). I have a son who is studying at Harvard and a daughter who has a degree from the London School of Economics. I have told them to find jobs abroad and, if possible, take citizenships there," Mr Siddiqui had recently said.
"As India's junior minister of home, I am saying, loudly, that India is the only country where everyone is safe, minorities are also safe. Their safety was the Centre's policy. So, what he is saying is out of frustration at the dwindling mass base of the RJD," Mr Rai responded.
A former state minister, Mr Siddiqui had said, "When my children reacted with disbelief, pointing out that I was still living here (in India), I told them they will not be able to cope."
Though the RJD leader didn't make any direct reference to Muslims or the BJP government, but the BJP's Bihar unit had slammed his remarks and suggested that he should "move to Pakistan".
The RJD leader's comments were endorsed by the party's ally, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United).