Nitish angry with Giriraj's statement, BJP turns deaf ear

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose ties with ally BJP have lately been strained, responded to a comment by Union Minister Giriraj Singh on "beating up officials" with thinly-veiled sarcasm. At a public event on Saturday, Giriraj Singh, who is a BJP MP from Begusarai in Bihar, was on camera advising people of his constituency to "beat up with bamboo sticks" officials who appeared insensitive to their concerns. Nitish Kumar, asked what he thought about such comments, said: "You should ask him." Then he elaborated: "Using words like 'pitai (beating)'. Is that appropriate? Ask him only."