New Delhi (TIP):

A Delhi court August 30 issued summons to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for humiliating people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by calling Chhath Puja a “drama.”

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Yaduvanshi issued the summons to Thackeray for humiliating Biharis and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion.

An application moved by lawyers Sudhir Kumar Jha and Murad Ali from Bihar and Sudhakar Ojha from Jharkhand sought to initiate proceedings against Thackeray for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and humiliating people from UP and Bihar.

Jha said that Thackeray humiliated people from Bihar and UP in a Feb 2008 speech by ridiculing Chhath Puja, which is celebrated with enthusiasm in the two states.

Various criminal cases were lodged against him in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Later, the Supreme Court transferred the cases to the Delhi court after Thackeray raised concerns over his security.