March 10, 2007
PATNA: Sinking their political differences, top Bihar leaders on Friday assailed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his alleged anti-Bihari remarks with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar going to the extent of seeking treatment befitting an anti-national element for him.
"I feel Raj Thackeray should be treated on par with the anti-national elements waging a war against India," Kumar said while reacting to the alleged anti-Bihari remarks of Raj, the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, at an MNS function in Mumbai on Friday on completion of one year of its existence.
"I am going to speak to the Maharashtra Chief Minister seeking action that befits one charged with sedition against Raj Thackeray for his fulmination against the Biharis," Kumar, whose JD(U) heads a coalition ministry with BJP in Bihar said.
Kumar said Biharis had been contributing to creation of wealth across the country by their hard labour and, under the constitution, they were free to work for a living in any state anywhere in India.
"Biharis are not carrots and radishes, who can be broken easily. I dare Raj to throw them out and bear the consequences," Kumar said, but asked the people of Bihar not to get provoked by the MNS leader's statement.
Raj Thackeray, singing tunes similar to Bal Thackeray, had appealed to the Marathi people to introspect why immigration to Mumbai, including by Biharis, had increased.
Referring to an incident in year 2004 at Kalyan near Mumbai, where Shiv Sena workers had assaulted Biharis, Raj Thackeray had said, "I will stand by whatever happened. They cannot live here and abuse Maharashtra. If they misbehave, the will not be spared again."
Raj Thackeray's statement triggered strong reaction from BJP with Bihar's deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi seeking strong action by the Congress-led Maharashtra government against the MNS leader.
"Our government will not tolerate insult to Biharis. Our people have hugely contributed to the development of states they have made their home. Raj has become politically insignificant in Maharashtra and so he wants to disturb peace," Modi said. Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, too, expressed concern over Raj Thackeray's statement and asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take up the issue of security of Biharis with his counterpart in Maharashtra.
"It is for the present NDA government to ensure safety and security of Biharis in Mahashtra," she said.
PATNA: Sinking their political differences, top Bihar leaders on Friday assailed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his alleged anti-Bihari remarks with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar going to the extent of seeking treatment befitting an anti-national element for him.
"I feel Raj Thackeray should be treated on par with the anti-national elements waging a war against India," Kumar said while reacting to the alleged anti-Bihari remarks of Raj, the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, at an MNS function in Mumbai on Friday on completion of one year of its existence.
"I am going to speak to the Maharashtra Chief Minister seeking action that befits one charged with sedition against Raj Thackeray for his fulmination against the Biharis," Kumar, whose JD(U) heads a coalition ministry with BJP in Bihar said.
Kumar said Biharis had been contributing to creation of wealth across the country by their hard labour and, under the constitution, they were free to work for a living in any state anywhere in India.
"Biharis are not carrots and radishes, who can be broken easily. I dare Raj to throw them out and bear the consequences," Kumar said, but asked the people of Bihar not to get provoked by the MNS leader's statement.
Raj Thackeray, singing tunes similar to Bal Thackeray, had appealed to the Marathi people to introspect why immigration to Mumbai, including by Biharis, had increased.
Referring to an incident in year 2004 at Kalyan near Mumbai, where Shiv Sena workers had assaulted Biharis, Raj Thackeray had said, "I will stand by whatever happened. They cannot live here and abuse Maharashtra. If they misbehave, the will not be spared again."
Raj Thackeray's statement triggered strong reaction from BJP with Bihar's deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi seeking strong action by the Congress-led Maharashtra government against the MNS leader.
"Our government will not tolerate insult to Biharis. Our people have hugely contributed to the development of states they have made their home. Raj has become politically insignificant in Maharashtra and so he wants to disturb peace," Modi said. Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, too, expressed concern over Raj Thackeray's statement and asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take up the issue of security of Biharis with his counterpart in Maharashtra.
"It is for the present NDA government to ensure safety and security of Biharis in Mahashtra," she said.
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