Raj Thackeray threatens to brand Biharis as ‘infiltrators’

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray today threatened to brand Biharis as ‘infiltrators’ if authorities in Bihar take legal action against Mumbai policemen, who picked up a teenager from there without informing their counterparts.

Thackeray was reacting to a media report 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. Thackeray told reporters the Bihar chief secretary had threatened legal action against Mumbai police.

‘The letter says Mumbai police has to get in touch with the Bihar government before picking up any person from their state. If Mumbai crime branch picks up people from their state without the knowledge of the Bihar police they would face legal action,’ he said referring to the purported latter. 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,’ he said. Abdul Qadir Mohammed Younus Ansari, 19, was picked up by Mumbai Crime Branch on Monday from Sitamarhi in Bihar for vandalising the Amar Jawan Memorial near Azad Maidan during August 11 rioting at a protest called against alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar. Two protesters were killed and over 50 injured, mostly policemen and those from the media.

‘Why is Nitish Kumar not saying anything? Where have the leaders from the state and Delhi gone? Why was the chief secretary not been slammed for his remarks,’ he asked. UNI