'Bihar approves gobhi farming': Assam minister's post ignites fury; Shashi Tharoor reacts

As Assam Minister Ashok Singhal’s “Bihar approves Gobi farming” remark sparked a row with Opposition leaders alleging it was “glorifying” the killing of Muslims in Bhagalpur in 1989, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday (November 16, 2025) condemned the social media post, saying neither the Hindu faith nor nationalism justifies or condones such massacres, let alone applauds them.

“Bihar approves Gobi farming,” Mr. Singhal had posted on X on Friday (November 14, 2025) with an image of a cauliflower field after the NDA win in Assembly polls. It evoked a strong response from many online who said the cauliflower image was an apparent reference to the 1989 Bhagalpur violence in Bihar, in which many Muslims were killed and buried in farmland where cauliflower saplings were later planted to conceal the bodies.

Bihar approves Gobi farming ✅ pic.twitter.com/SubrTQ0Mu5

— Ashok Singhal (@TheAshokSinghal) November 14, 2025