Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray over his remarks on Chhath Puja, accusing him of targeting people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to remain in the media spotlight.
“When no one pays him any attention, he manages to secure space in the media by making remarks about people from UP and Bihar,” Kishor said. He urged the media not to give Thackeray a platform for such comments, alleging that the MNS chief repeatedly targets people from these states after going unnoticed for months.
The response followed a lengthy post by Thackeray on X, in which he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using Chhath Puja to provoke regional tensions in Mumbai. Thackeray alleged that the party and its social media network were circulating videos of festival rituals to portray them as a form of cultural invasion.
He also claimed that attempts to play Bhojpuri music at some Mumbai railway stations were stopped by the MNS. Thackeray linked the controversy to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections and accused the BJP of using regional, caste and religious divisions to secure electoral gains.
READ | Delhi Government Declares Public Holiday Across Delhi On November 16 For Chhath Puja
The MNS chief argued that Marathi residents should not get drawn into confrontations designed by political opponents. Invoking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's guerrilla warfare strategy, he urged his supporters to decide when and how to respond.
Thackeray also accused the BJP of weakening Maharashtra's social harmony and alleged that the state's land, forests and natural resources were being handed over to industrial interests.
Union minister Chirag Paswan also criticised Thackeray's regional politics. Responding to his Chhath remarks, Paswan said people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have contributed significantly to Maharashtra's economy. He pointed to their participation as workers, employees and business owners across sectors.
Paswan accused Thackeray of consistently promoting regionalism and said the contributions of migrants from these states were essential to the country's economic activity.
The exchange has brought the treatment of migrant communities and the politics of regional identity back into focus in Maharashtra. Chhath Puja, widely celebrated by people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, has become the latest flashpoint in the confrontation.
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