Nitish Kumar hits back at Raj, takes on Congress

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Reacting sharply to Maharashtra Nanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's anti-north Indian and specifically anti-Bihari rhetoric, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday described Thackeray as being a person of unsound mind, and questioned the Maharashtra Government's inaction in cracking the administrative whip on him.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumar accused Thackeray of indulging in 'cheap publicity'.

"He ( Raj Thackeray) is indulging in cheap publicity to stay in the news. It is a comment of a man who is unsound of mind and deranged. I am surprised at the Maharashtra Government and at the Congress. It seems the Congress has forsaken all of its responsibilities. It appears as if they have outsourced the Maharashtra Government," Kumar said.

Justifying the objections raised by the Bihar Government over Mumbai Police's operation in the state, Kumar said the latter had failed to follow established protocol.

"There is a protocol for inter-state police action. Our objections were justified," he added.

Kumar was responding to Thackeray's earlier comment that, "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."

Thackeray's comment invited ridicule right across the political spectrum.