Thackeray family originally belonged to Bihar: Digvijay Singh

“If you look at the history of Mumbai,then it is a city of fishermen. Rest all have settled there from outside,” Singh said.

Raj Thacekray had yesterday threatened to force Biharis out of Maharashtra if authorities in Bihar take legal action against Mumbai policemen who picked up a teenager from there without informing their counterparts in that state.

Thackeray,whose party has often launched violent campaigns against Hindi-speaking people in Maharashtra,was reacting to reports that Bihar chief secretary Navin Kumar has written to Mumbai police commissioner voicing displeasure over the arrest of the youth for vandalising the martyr’s memorial during Azad Maidan protest on August 11.

Shivanand Tiwari,a senior leader of the ruling JD-U in Bihar,hit out at Congress over the issue suggesting that the ruling party at the Centre and in Maharashtra is propping up Thackeray and drew parallels with the rise of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Punjab during the terror days there.

“This (the conduct of Raj Thackeray) is a challenge to the Constitutional authority. Thackeray says in Azad Maidan of Mumbai that the police commissioner should be transferred and it is done soon after. Does the Congress-led government in Maharashtra giving an impression that Thackeray bigger than the government there.

“I will request the Congress at the Centre as well as the Congress-led government in the state to learn from their experiences in Punjab,where they propped up Bhindranwale. They are creating extra Constitutional authorities and strengthening them. A time will come the same forces will destroy them like the demon Bhasmasur,” Tewari said.

The JD-U leader said it is established as per law that whenever the police from a state goes to another state to arrest somebody,it has to inform the local police and then produce the arrested person in local court from where he can be taken elsewhere only after getting transit remand.

BJP leader and a minister in the state government Giriraj Singh was vocal in his criticism of Thackeray and demanded a case of “treason” against the MNS chief.

“This is against democracy. A case of treason should be filed against Thackeray. I also appeal to Anna Hazare,who belongs to Maharashtra that he should also raise his voice against Thackeray,” he said daring him to come to Bihar.

BJP dubbed MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s threat to brand people from Bihar as ‘infiltrators’ a reflection of mental bankruptcy,and said such statements can cost a loss in the big fight against terrorism.

“The country works under a federal structure and if a person suspicious belongs to a particular state then definitely that state must be taken into full confidence. This is a part of the legal procedure. But statements that if any action is taken then the people of that particular state will be targeted shows mental bankruptcy. Such statements can cause a loss in the big fight against terrorism,” said BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Naqvi also disapproved of the MNS chief’s remarks,saying there is a “need to desist from confrontation” while working in political and social fields.

Naqvi said that no discrimination in the name of region or religion can be made due to acts of some “terrorists” and that there is only a “Hindustani belt” across the length and breath of the nation.

Thackeray had said,“If the Bihar government tries to become a hurdle in the way of a police investigation,then my party would dub every Bihari in Maharashtra as an infiltrator and would force them to leave the state.

“The person who desecrated the Amar Jawan memorial was arrested from Bihar. I would like to tell the Bihar chief secretary that because of your state,the crime rate (in Maharashtra) has gone up”.

Abdul Qadir Mohammed Younus Ansari (19) was picked up by Mumbai Crime Branch on Monday from Sitamarhi in Bihar for allegedly vandalising the Amar Jawan Memorial near Azad Maidan during August 11 rioting during a protest against alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar.

Two protesters were killed and over 50 injured,mostly policemen and those from the media.

Meanwhile,BJP also took strong exception to the comments of Thackeray and said every Indian has a right to settle anywhere in the country.

“The Constitution permits any Indian to settle anywhere in the country. This is what makes India. We all need to respect that Constitutional mandate,” BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Parties seek action against Raj for anti-Bihari jibe

MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s ‘anti Bihari’ remarks created furore in the state with political parties asking the Centre to take strong action against him for his divisive comments.

BJP leader Giriraj Singh condemning Thackeray 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.

NDA ally JD(U) too slammed Thackeray for his stand and said the Centre should take cognizance of his comments and initiate strong action against him.

“The MNS chief has been spewing venom for past many years against the 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.

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 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 dub Biharis as ‘infiltrators’ and drive them out of Maharashtra if Bihar created any obstacle in the prosecution of Abdul Qadir,a native of Sitamarhi district,who was recently arrested on charge of desecration of Amar Jawan Jyoti last month.