Raj Thackeray Shows his Ignorance Again; Earns Rebuke
Patna: January 31, 2008
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Raj Thackeray's Effigy Burnt
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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Leaders in Bihar, cutting across party differences, blasted the separatist leader and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, more ubiquitously known in Bihar as the Ayatollah of Maharashtra, for ridiculing Bihar's Chhath festival and demanding from non-Maharashtrian residents to learn Marathi if they wished to live in Maharashtra.
While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called Thackeray's statement callous and insensitive, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was not so diplomatic when he said that 'Thackeray should avoid making such comments lest he desires to face the wrath of Chhath Maiyya'.
Kumar, dismissing Thackeray's statement without ever mentioning his name, said some people were in the habit of making controversial remarks just to grab some media attention. "However, such persons are irrelevant in Indian politics and their statements have no bearing on the Indian politics," he said.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leaders also criticized Thackeray's reckless attitude towards Biharis and Bihar's culture and festivals saying the self-proclaimed voice of Maharashtra was mentally insane and should be committed to a mental asylum.
Meanwhile, supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) burnt the effigies of Thackeray in Kadam Kuan and at Income Tax Roundabout respectively while demanding his arrest on charges of trying to disturb national peace and harboring anti-national sentiments.
As reported, Thackeray apparently said that Chhath was nothing more than a drama in Bihar and had no relevance in other parts of the nation.
This is not the first time Thackeray, the nephew of yet another controversial leader and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, has made anti-Bihari statements.
In March of 2007, Thackeray stirred up the proverbial hornet's nest when he threatened non-Maharashtrians living in Maharashtra of dire consequences 'if they did not stay within their limits.'
"We will not allow the outsiders to dilute our Marathi culture and will take whatever action necessary to prevent the 'influx of outsiders' in Maharashtra," the heir-apparent of Bal Thackeray had said.
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