Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: With political support growing for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s scheduled visit to Mumbai to attend the Bihar Divas celebrations, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday lowered his stand and said that the matter is settled now.
According to reports, the MNS chief spoke to Bihar Chief Minister on phone and assured the JD-U leader that his party will not oppose his visit to Mumbai.
“I spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the phone and the matter is settled now,” Raj Thackeray told a TV news channel.
On his part, Nitish Kumar also invited the MNS chief to visit Bihar.
Nitish earlier hit back at the MNS chief for warning him not to come to Mumbai to celebrate Bihar Divas, saying it is not a political event and that it does not pose any threat to people Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters, Nitish Kumar said, “I will visit Mumbai on April 15. I am going to participate in a cultural event, which poses no threat to people of Maharashtra.”
When asked to reply over the MNS chief’s warning, Kumar said, “I have got invitation to attend the Bihar Divas celebrations as the chief minister of the state where majority of Biharis live.”
“It would be an honour to attend the celebrations to mark the 100 years of Bihar’s existence on 15th April, “he added.
Kumar had also said that he would give a message to people from Bihar living in Mumbai on April 15 during his scheduled visit to attend a social and cultural programme organised by migrant labour from the state to celebrate the centenary of the creation of the state.
“No one can stop me in going to Mumbai. I can go anywhere", Kumar said when asked for his comments on the threat by the MNS chief to block the celebrations.
The reaction from Bihar Chief Minister came after MNS chief Raj Thackeray dared him to set his foot in Mumbai, triggering a political controversy, which saw Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and several other parties extending full support to Kumar.
