Centre alerts state on Maoist threat to Giriraj

Patna: The Union home ministry has sent an alert to the state government mentioning that BJP MP from Nawada and minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises Giriraj Singh is under the radar of Maoists.
IG, special branch, J S Gangwar, said, “We received a letter from the IB a couple of days back in which it was mentioned that Giriraj Singh is being targeted by the Maoists.However, the alert did not advise upgradation of his security category. We have increased the minister’s security during his movement in state.”
According to sources, the letter, issued on October 24 by the IB, stated that CPI (Maoist) outfit plans to target Giriraj Singh for allegedly pursuing an anti-dalit and anti-minority agenda in Bihar and elsewhere in the country. The IB input expressed possibility of Giriraj Singh being targeted during electioneering for the ongoing assembly election in the state.
Giriraj Singh in his Twitter account posted the letter sent to the state police headquarters and tweeted, "Nitish is not looking serious about anyone's security...be it me or people of Bihar...his govt can plot my killing."
Despite the Maoists having boycotted the Bihar Assembly elections, not a single incident of naxal violence was reported in the two-phase polls in all the red-hit districts. A senior Maoist leader had earlier told TOI that going by the people's choice and mood of voting in the election, they are not likely to create any violence in this election. “Most of the Maoist cadres in Bihar belong from lower caste or a particular community. So they are apparently inclined to the Mahagathbandhan and are targeting the BJP functionaries,” sources said.
Giriraj Singh, a Bhumihar, served the cabinet of Bihar as co-operative minister from 2005-2010 and animal husbandry minister from 2010 to 2013. He has been a staunch supporter of Narendra Modi from the very beginning. He had publicly supported Modi for the Prime Minister’s post. He was among the 11 BJP ministers who were dismissed by Nitish Kumar as a result of the breach of the JD(U)-BJP alliance.