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Thackeray targets Bihar, U.P. MPs

Pune/New Delhi: Stoking a fresh round of confrontation with his anti-north Indian comments, Bal Thackeray on Wednesday targeted MPs from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh triggering an angry reaction in Parliament with a privilege motion moved against the Shiv Sena supremo.

Mr. Thackeray also said Biharis were an “unwanted” lot in all parts of the country.

“The U.P.-Bihari MPs have shown their ingratitude towards Mumbai and Maharashtra with an anti-Marathi tirade in Parliament,” Mr. Thackeray said in an editorial in Saamna.

The comments had their echo in the Lok Sabha when Devendra Yadav of the RJD demanded action against Mr. Thackeray after which Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the Shiv Sena chief’s references amounted to contempt of the House. The Speaker asked him “to follow the procedure” for any action to be taken.

Later, Mr. Yadav, who hails from Bihar, gave a notice of breach of privilege against Mr. Thackeray, accusing him of “lowering the dignity of MPs as also Parliament.” Some MPs from U.P. were also a party to the notice.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said in Delhi he was seeking legal opinion before taking action against the Shiv Sena chief.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention by convening a meeting of political leaders of Bihar and Maharashtra to sort out “differences.” — PTI

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