Patna: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday received a grand welcome at Patna airport where his supporters raised slogans of "Shere-Bihar Zindabad".

Before his arrival, Giriraj had sent a strong message to his critics, asking them to try and stop him if they had the guts. His supporters kept throwing marigold garlands at him. By the time Giriraj reached his SUV, his face could not be seen at all, bedecked as it was with garlands.

The RJD had earlier asked chief minister Nitish Kumar not to allow Giriraj entry into the state before Ram Navami, accusing him of creating social strife. But Giriraj asked where else he could go as Bihar was his home state.

Asked about Nitish ji requesting people to beware of people who cause social strife, Giriraj shot back: "Has Nitishji whispered my name in your ears and told you that I am the person who will create disturbance in society or disturb communal harmony? Has Nitish ji named me publicly? You must know that he was referring to the RJD and the Congress, and not to me."

Giriraj also said that the state government had not issued any order banning him from entering Bihar.

He went on to thank Nitsh for saying he would not compromise with people creating social strife in society. "I've not said anything that can be construed as creating disturbance in society," Giriraj said.

"What about the viral video from Araria in which anti-national and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised by youths after the RJD won the Lok Sabha bypoll? It anybody claims that Nitish ji was pointing at me, I must say they understand Nitish better than I or anybody else does."

Asked about his asking people to raise slogans against Darbhanga DSP, Giriraj admitted he had done so.

"What's wrong in that? I admit I had asked people to raise slogans against the Darbhanga DSP because people were raising slogans against the entire administration," Giriraj said. "I told them that the entire police administration is not responsible. Only the DSP is. So slogans must be raised against him."

The BJP leader claimed he had never issued any statement to create communal disturbance.

He did not miss the opportunity to attack RJD leader Rabri Devi who had said that dabangai (bullying nature) was in Giriraj's DNA. "I didn't know that Rabri ji has become a doctor who understands DNA. I will urge her to first check her own DNA before raising question on mine," Giriraj said.