Nitish, Lalu criticise Sena leader's anti-Muslim call

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his ally, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Monday criticised Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for demanding in an article that voting rights of Muslims should be revoked to stop vote-bank politics.

Nitish Kumar criticised Sanjay Raut for his article in Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna.

"What was said in the article was very objectionable and wrong," he told media here.

Nitish Kumar said the country was run by the Constitution, and it could not be run by a view or a remark of anyone.

Lalu Prasad was also displeased with Raut's article.

"It is highly condemnable and dangerous stand," he said.

Lalu Prasad said that parties like Shiv Sena always play communal politics.

"Shiv Sena's leaders like Raut say such things to polarize votes and create hatred against minority," he added.

Lalu Prasad also said that leaders like Raut should know that there were no takers for their stand in the country.

Muslims, who constitute 16.5 percent of the Bihar's 10.5 crore population, would play an important role in deciding the fate of nearly 100 of the state's 243 assembly seats.

With the next Bihar assembly elections slated for later this year, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad are eyeing overwhelming support of Muslims to defeat the BJP.

In the article published in the latest issue of Saamna, Raut, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, addressed All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Owaisi as "Owaisi bhai from Hyderabad" and said: "As long as Muslim votes are for sale, the community will remain backward and its leaders will become rich."

In the article written in Marathi, he said it was because of this that Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray had said "voting rights for Muslims should be taken away".