Maharashtra's, not UP, Bihar's youth should be given priority for jobs: Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who is known for his scathing attacks on the North Indian community and migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Sunday said that youth from Maharashtra should be given priority if there are any job opportunities in the state.

Addressing the North Indian community at an event organised by a Uttar Bhartiya Mahapanchayat in Mumbai's Kandivali in Hindi language, Thackeray said, "Youths from Maharashtra should be given priority if there are any job opportunities in the state. If there are job opportunities in Maharashtra, is it wrong that youth of Maharashtra be given first priority? If an industry is set up in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow, then youth there should be given first preference, the same should happen in Bihar, what is wrong in it?"

Further substantiating his stance, he asserted, "People from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar come to Maharashtra. Then people who are thrown out of their states also come to Maharashtra, is this state any less burdened? Whenever there are jobs available in Maharashtra its advertisement reaches Uttar Pradesh but is not advertised locally."

Reiterating his stance, the MNS chief claimed that trains from Bihar to Maharashtra are always full, but trains from Maharashtra are all empty. "There is no place to build a footpath in the state and migrants from other states are building temporary houses each day." He also alleged that the maximum number of crimes take place in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"People who are coming from outside will not be tolerated by Raj Thackery. Mumbai of 1995 is totally different from what it is today. If somebody abuses the women of our family will we stay mum?" asked the MNS chief.

He accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government of being biased towards the state of Bihar."If Maharashtra gives Rs 100 to the Center it gets less than Rs 14 in return, whereas if Bihar gives the same amount it gets Rs 149 in return for development," he added.