'Bihar Divas' programme should not hurt emotions of Maharashtrians: Nitish

Patna, Apr 13 (ANI): Stating that the relationship between the people of Bihar and Maharashtra has been very good over the years, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that it was beyond his thinking as to why his proposed visit to Mumbai to celebrate 'Bihar Divas' would hurt the emotions of people of the financial capital.

Nitish Kumar said that he would down before Maharashtra's land during his Mumbai visit.

"I am going there to attend a cultural function. I am not going there due to the contact with the political outfits. I am going there as the chief minister of Bihar as the people have invited me. It is beyond my thinking that why people should have problems with functions like these. When I visit there, I will bow down before Maharashtra's land," said Kumar.

"We are all proud of the leaders and saints of Maharashtra. This programme is for the poor people, who went there for work and settled there. I don't think anybody, the people of Maharashtra, should have problems with this function. The relationship between the people of Bihar and Maharashtra has been very good. I don't think our programme will hurt the emotions of the people of Maharashtra in any way," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress MP from Mumbai, Sanjay Nirupam, termed the ongoing row over Nitish Kumar's Mumbai visit to be unnecessary, and said that the latter has full right to celebrate Bihar Divas in any part of the country including the Himalayan region.

"The ongoing row is unnecessary and has no meaning. Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister of Bihar and he can go anywhere to celebrate 'Bihar Divas'. He can celebrate it in Bihar, Mumbai, Delhi or even Himalayas. I would just like to say that if he is visiting Mumbai, the Maharashtra Government will make all security arrangements for him and I have even talked to my chief minister (Mumbai Chief Minister) in this regard. Nobody should stop him from attending such conference," Nirupam told the media in New Delhi.

"India is a country having its own Constitution. And as per the Constitution, every single individual has got the right to visit any place of India and put forward his views. And nobody has the right to take this right from him," he added.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray had earlier on Thursday dared Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to celebrate "Bihar Divas" in Mumbai.

"I thought that Nitish Kumar was a nice person who was developing his state," he said, while addressing a rally at Idgah maidan at Malegaon.

Referring to the Bihar Chief Minister's statement that he does not need a visa to come to Mumbai, Thackeray said: "Let us see how he (Nitish) celebrates Bihar Din in Mumbai." (ANI)