Parties seek action against Raj Thackeray for anti-Bihari jibe

Patna: MNS chief Raj Thackeray`s anti-Bihari remarks on Saturday created a furore in the state with political parties today asking the Centre to take strong action against him for his comments.

JD(U) said the Centre should take cognisance of his comments. "The MNS chief has been spewing venom for past many years against north Indian people, including those from Bihar, settled in Mumbai and Maharashtra," JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said. Referring to RJD, Kumar said the party, which has been a constituent of the UPA government for years, should put pressure on it to act tough against Thackeray. Condemning Thackeray`s remark, BJP leader Giriraj Singh said he should be booked on charges of sedition for attacking the unity and integrity of the country. The Maharashtra Navanirman Sena(MNS) chief`s anti-Bihari jibe yesterday was also violative of Constitution and parliamentary democracy which allowed the citizens to settle down in any part of the country, Singh, also the state Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, said. RJD spokesman Ramkripal Yadav also took umbrage to Thackeray`s offensive and said the people of Bihar have constitutional right to live in any part of the country, including Maharashtra. Bihar PCC president Chaudhary Mehboon Ali Kaiser too slammed Thackeray`s comments and said he has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan protesting against it. NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar too castigated the comments and said Thackeray was trying to strengthen his political base in Maharashtra by playing out regional politics. Thackeray had yesterday threatened to force Biharis out of Maharashtra if authorities in Bihar take legal action against Mumbai policemen who picked up a teenager on charges of vandalising the martyr`s memorial during Azad Maidan protest on August 11. PTI