Raj unites shocked parties, sued by activist
4 Sept 2012 6:55 AM IST
The comments made by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray against people from Bihar enraged more politicians on Monday, as parties got together to demand action against him. At the same time, a complaint was filed in Nalanda district court against him. A social activist Biresh Pandey filed the case in the court of the chief judicial magistrate Krishna Bihari Pandey under several sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The petitioner submitted that the people of Bihar felt insulted and their sentiments were hurt by Thackeray's recent speech, in which he had described the Mumbai-based Biharis as infiltrators and threatened to drive them out of the city.
In Delhi, the home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, 'Everybody has a right to go anywhere and seek employment.' On Thackeray targeting certain news channels, he said, 'It is not fair to target the media. At times the media criticises people and it should be accepted.'
Seeking strong action against the MNS chief, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) accused the Maharashtra government of taking a 'lenient view' of such incidents. 'The situation in Maharashtra is so because the state government is not been able to take strict action against such acts. The day strong action is taken, [Thackeray's] irresponsible statements against the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will stop,' the BSP chief Mayawati told reporters outside Parliament.
PARTIES UNITE AGAINST RAJ
Fearing reprisals against Maharashtrians residing in northern states due to MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s recent comments against Biharis, RPI leader Ramdas Athavale on Monday appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to protect Marathis in his state.
Athavale, whose party RPI [A] had fought BMC polls, held earlier this year in alliance with Shiv Sena, said dalit workers will take to streets to protect north Indians in Maharashtra and also Hindi news channels which are at the receiving end of Raj’s diatribe.
‘Maharashtrians who are living in northern states will be in trouble if Raj continues his tirade against north-Indians. I am afraid that there will be retaliation against Marathis and Raj will be responsible for this. I appeal to Nitish Kumar to protect Maharashtrians living in Bihar,’ Athavale told reporters here.
A complaint was registered against the MNS chief in Nalanda district court by a social activist under several sections of the IPC.
Raj Thackeray had on Friday threatened to brand Biharis as ‘infiltrators’ and force them out of Maharashtra if authorities in Bihar take legal action against Mumbai policemen who picked up Abdul Qadir from Sitamarhi district without informing their counterparts in that state, evoking a sharp rebuff from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In Delhi, the Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, ‘Everybody has a right to go anywhere and seek employment.’
On Raj Thackeray targeting certain news channels, he said, ‘It is not fair to target media. At times media criticises people and it should be accepted.’
Seeking strong action against the MNS chief for his comments against people of Bihar, Bahujan Samaj Party on Monday accused the Maharashtra government of taking a ‘lenient view’ of such incidents.
Lashing out at the MNS chief, RJD leader Ram Kirpal Yadav said, ‘There is no difference between terrorists and these people. Their language is same like terrorists. So the law applicable against terrorists should be used against them also.’
He said, ‘There is no difference between Raj Thackeray and Bal Thackeray. Government should take action against these people who are spreading hatred in society.’
Nitish Kumar had defended Bihar DGP’s letter to Mumbai police commissioner protesting the manner of arrest of Qadir from Bihar Sitamarhi district.
Bihar police chief and chief secretary of the state had reportedly sent letters to their Maharashtra counterparts voicing displeasure over the incident.
‘The situation in Maharashtra is so because the state government is not been able to take strict action against such acts [of Raj Thackeray]. The day strong action will be taken, on that day itself his irresponsible statements against UP or Bihar people will stop,’ BSP chief Mayawati told reporters outside Parliament.
UNCLE THACKREY SUPPORTS NEPHEW
A day after Nitish Kumar defended Bihar DGP's letter to Mumbai police commissioner protesting the manner of arrest of a teenager from the state, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Monday said the chief minister should have instead congratulated Mumbai police for its action.
'The Bihar CM should have congratulated Mumbai police as their action prevented Abdul Qadir from fomenting more trouble in that state,' Thackeray said, in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamna. 'Even God cannot save this country if political boundaries are going to come in way of nabbing a terrorist from Bihar,' Thackeray said.
Qadir was recently arrested from his native Sitamarhi district in Bihar by a Mumbai police team for allegedly vandalising the martyr's memorial during August 11 Azad Maidan violence called to protest alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar without taking that state's police into confidence.
Calling Qadir a 'traitor', the Sena patriarch said, 'There was no need for the Bihar chief secretary to meddle with the business [of Mumbai cops arresting Amar Jawan memorial vandal from Bihar].
YOUTH CONGRESS, NSUI PROTEST AGAINST MNS CHIEF
Youth Congress and NSUI workers on Monday took out a procession to protest against comments made by MNS chief Raj Thackeray against Biharis.
Led by the YC state unit president Lallan Kumar and former MLC Vijay Shankar Mishra, YC and NSUI workers held protest march from the Akashwani Square to Dak Bunglow with 250 donkeys carrying photographs of Raj around their neck.
The protesters also shouted slogans against the MNS chief describing him as a ‘traitor’ and demanding ‘capital punishment’ for him for his provocative speech last week.
The YC and NSUI workers slapped his photographs with slippers and shoes apparently to vent their ire for his diatribe against Biharis. Describing the MNS chief's speech against the Bihari people as an attempt to divide the country on linguistic and regional lines, Kumar urged the Union Home Minister to take stringent action against him.
He said a delegation of the state YC will visit Mumbai soon to take account of the situation on the ground and submit a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
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