Patna: An FIR has been lodged against Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai for allegedly delivering a provocative speech on Friday while campaigning for the Lok Sabha bypoll in Araria district, which was held on Sunday without any major violence (See Metro Page 10).

The FIR was lodged with the Narpatganj police station, around 296km north-east of Patna, on the statement of the circle officer-cum-nodal officer of Narpatganj Assembly constituency, Nishant Kumar, after watching the video footage of Rai's speech.

Rai, an MP from Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha seat in Samastipur district, allegedly said: "If the RJD candidate, Sarfaraz Alam, wins the elections from Araria the region would become an ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) den. And if (the BJP's) Pradeep Kumar Singh wins, then the spirit of patriotism would increase in Araria."

The Telegraph has not seen the footage, but Araria district magistrate (DM) Himanshu Kumar said that he ordered nodal officer Nishant to lodge the FIR after watching the video clip of Rai's speech during campaigning in Narpatganj on March 9.

The complaint was lodged on Saturday, the DM said over phone on Sunday. Narpatganj police station house officer (SHO) Sunil Kumar said that the FIR (No.129/18) has been lodged under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act, 1951. Earlier, the Election Commission directed the Araria DM to conduct an investigation. Subsequently, the nodal officer of the constituency was asked to probe.

Rai refused to comment, but BJP spokesperson Sanjay Singh Tiger said: "If any complaint has been lodged - as I have come to know from media - he (Rai) will opt for legal measures."

RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari said Rai's statement showed the BJP's frustration.