"Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and MLA Manoranjan Byapari has courted controversy with his anti-Bihar tirade at a public meeting. In a video that went viral on Monday, 14 March, the MLA referred to the people from Bihar as a bimaari (disease), adding that Bengal should be a "disease-free" place.
"If Bengali blood runs through your veins... if the blood of Khudiram and Netaji (Subhash Chandra Bose) runs through your veins and if you love your mother tongue and motherland, then you have to shout out loud: 'Ek Bihari, sau bimaari' (One person from Bihar is equal to 100 diseases)."Trinamool MLA Manoranjan Byapari said at the Kolkata Book Fair.
"We don't want diseases. Make Bengal disease-free. Jai Bangla, Jai Didi Mamata Banerjee," he added.
Suvendu Reacts, Asks TMC Joinee Shatrughan Sinha 'How Do You Feel?'
Reacting to the anti-Bihari rant, BJP MLA and former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari addressed actor-politician from Bihar, Shatrughan Sinha, and wrote, "Your new party colleague is very transparent about his feelings towards Biharis."
"First the party leader Mamata Banerjee labels Biharis and UPites as 'Bohiragotos' (outsiders) and now this clarion call to make Bengal free of Biharis," he added.
This comes as Sinha on Tuesday officially switched to the TMC.
Later, Byapari attempted to clarify his statement by saying, "In a Bhasha Chetna Samiti meeting, people talked about sending me to Bangladesh as I speak Bengali... Ain't I supposed to say anything back? I didn't say 'Bihari'," reported ANI.
"I respect Shatrughan Sinha who's from Bihar, I salute him. He won't say anything for us Bengalis or our mother-sister. Give respect and take respect. If you use bad words for me, I will get upset," he said.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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