Patna, Nov 5 (IANS) Union Minister and former JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Wednesday responded to an FIR registered against him, saying the Election Commission of India (ECI) is impartial and that the complete video related to the complaint be examined. Speaking to reporters in Mokama, Lalan Singh alleged that the RJD had circulated a selective, misleading clip. “The portion being shared does not reflect the full context, and that once the entire recording is played, the truth will emerge,” Singh said.

Lalan Singh claimed the clip was recorded in a village where, he alleged, an RJD leader was intimidating poor residents of wards 15 to 27 by threatening them over voting. “I was encouraging those very voters,” he said, arguing that his remarks have been taken out of context. Since an FIR has been filed, Lalan Singh added, the whole video will now be scrutinised as part of the investigation.He also asked the RJD to make public the Pandarak incident footage and to apologise if their circulated version was misleading.

The ECI on Tuesday issued a notice to Lalan Singh and asked him to clarify about the video statement he had made in Mokama during the campaign for his party’s candidate, Anant Singh. The RJD posted a video clip on X showing Lalan Singh during an election campaign. In the viral clip, Lalan Singh is seen saying, “There are one or two leaders; don't let them leave their houses on election day. Lock them up in their houses, and if they plead too much, tell them to come with us and cast their vote. From today onwards, you all take charge.”

Following the ECI notice and the viral attention, an FIR was registered against Lalan Singh. Anant Singh is currently in judicial custody in connection with the alleged murder of Dular Chand Yadav in Mokama. That incident took place on October 30. Lalan Singh has been campaigning in the region in support of Anant Singh.