If JD(U) is concerned, it must end 'live-in' with Sena: Bihar Cong

NEW DELHI: As soon as JD(U) Lok Sabha MPs submitted their resignations on Friday in protest against attack of MNS activists on North Indians in Maharashtra, the Bihar state Congress leadership questioned the political logic of Mr Nitish Kumar���s party coexisting with the Shiv Sena in the BJP-led NDA.

Maintaining that Shiv Sena ���is in competition��� with MNS in proving its ���anti-Bihar instincts���, Bihar PCC chief Anil Sharma said: ���Instead of indulging in drama like quitting the Lok Sabha, just months ahead of general elections, the JD(U) leadership should quit NDA to end its political relation with the Shiv Sena.���

���While Raj Thackeray���s MNS is targeting people from Bihar, the Shiv Sena is running a vicious and vulgar campaign against the very people through its editorials in Samna. Yet, JD(U) will have no guts to tell the NDA leadership to choose between them and Sena���, he said.

���Everybody in Bihar knows that JD(U) move to quit the Lok Sabha was a desperate attempt to make up for the loss of political face the Nitish Kumar government suffered due its complete failure in handling the recent flood situation in the state. But this drama will not help JD(U) to fool the people of Bihar.

The issue in Maharashtra deserved sensitive and matured handling, which can be provided only by parties with a national perspective,��� Mr Sharma said. The PCC chief also ruled out the possibility of the three Congress members of the Lok Sabha from Bihar quitting their seats.

���We said if there is a unanimity among all parties about quitting the Lok Sabha, Congress MPs too can consider that option. But now we see that even the BJP is not with JD(U) on that issue. After all, why should our MPs quit to join the JD(U) drama,��� he asked.

The PCC chief also urged the Maharashtra government to be ���more alert��� in handling the MNS agitation. While disagreeing with chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for ruling out the arrest of Mr Raj Thackeray under NSA, he said, given the kind of violence the MNS has instigated in the state, its leader should be booked under NSA.