Lalu slams Nitish for 'bowing' before Raj Thackeray

Patna, April 16 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Monday lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "bowing" before Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to visit Mumbai for the Bihar Diwas celebrations and said he had humiliated people of the state.

"There was no need for an elected chief minister of Bihar to bow before an unelected person and agreed to visit Mumbai on conditions set by Raj Thackeray. Nitish Kumar has not only hurt but humiliated all of us, read Biharis," Lalu Prasad told reporters here a day after Nitish Kumar attended Bihar Day celebrations in Mumbai.

Lalu Prasad was also angry over Nitish Kumar raising the slogan of "Jai Maharashtra" before saying "Jai Bihar" at the celebrations.

"Nitish has compromised with the prestige and sentiments of Bihar to keep Raj Thackeray happy," the former chief minister said.

He added that never before had a Bihar chief minister felt the need to take clearance from a leader like Raj Thackeray.

"Nitish first used his party legislator Devesh Chandra Thakur to visit Raj Thackeray to pacify him and subsequently had a telephonic talk with him. Only after that did Raj announce that Nitish Kumar was welcome to come over to Mumbai and address the Bihar Diwas function," Lalu Prasad said.

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan also criticised Nitish Kumar for kneeling before Thackeray.

Thackeray had gently urged Nitish Kumar to refrain from making any political statements at the rally to be held at Somaiya Grounds in Vidyavihar in north Mumbai, MNS vice president Vageesh Saraswat had said.

"We are not opposed to any cultural programmes to mark the Bihar Day and it can be held peacefully," Saraswat told IANS.