Fernandes asks all Bihari MPs to quit from Parliament

NEW DELHI: Senior JD(U) leader George Fernandes, who resigned from Lok Sabha on Tuesday on the issue of attack on north Indians in Maharashtra, asked all MPs from Bihar to quit from both Houses of Parliament.

"It would be even better if members from Bihar from all parties in both Houses of Parliament also resign to demonstrate unity," he said in a statement here.

Fernandes and four other party MPs resigned formally from the Lok Sabha and their resignations have been accepted by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, JD(U) leader in the House Prabhunath Singh told reporters after meeting the Speaker.

Recalling his association with Maharashtra, Fernandes said that in the early 60s, he had got the working of the Bombay Municipal Corporation changed from English to Marathi and added that he had won the Lok Sabha election for the first time from Mumbai in 1967.

Fernandes said he had won elections from Bihar overriding caste and regional affiliations. "The people of Bihar do not see me as a Bihari but as their friend whom they can trust. They recognise that we are Indians above all else."

The JD(U) leader said he had written to MNS leader Raj Thackeray in February. "Unfortunately, my letter to Raj did not bring a response. I have written umpteen letters to his uncle Bal Thackeray during my almost five decades in politics, taking up issues with him where I disagreed vehemently."

The 78-year old parliamentarian said he spent time in jails all over Maharashtra fighting for the cause of the exploited workers irrespective of their region, caste or creed and added that his asking party MPs to quit in protest against the attacks on Biharis in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray's people did not mean "I do not care for the people of Maharashtra".