Thackeray backs Mumbai police over vandal's arrest in Bihar

"The Bihar CM should have congratulated Mumbai police as their action prevented Abdul Qadir from fomenting more trouble in that state," Thackeray said, in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"Even God cannot save this country if political boundaries are going to come in way of nabbing a terrorist from Bihar," Thackeray said.

Qadir was recently arrested from his native Sitamarhi district in Bihar by a Mumbai police team for allegedly vandalising the martyr's memorial during August 11 Azad Maidan violence called to protest alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar without taking that state's police into confidence.

Bihar police chief and chief secretary of the state had reportedly sent letters to Mumbai police commissioner voicing displeasure over the incident.

Calling Qadir a "traitor", the Sena patriarch said, "There was no need for the Bihar chief secretary to meddle with the business (of Mumbai cops arresting Amar Jawan memorial vandal from Bihar)."

"The memorial vandal Abdul Qadir's arrest was an action against a traitor and the policemen involved in it were Indians," he said, adding Kumar's "image has been needlessly tarnished in the episode."

The Sena supremo's comments have come amid strong criticism of his estranged nephew MNS chief Raj Thackeray's remarks that Biharis in Maharashtra will be branded as "infiltrators" and driven out of the state if Bihar government initiated legal action against Mumbai police personnel involved in arresting the vandal.

While condemning Raj Thackeray's remarks, Nitish Kumar had yesterday defending Bihar DGP's letter, saying as per a circular of the Union Home Ministry, the police or investigating agency of any state was duty-bound to inform the local police and seek its cooperation in the arrest of an accused person in a case.

It was not done by Mumbai Police in the arrest of Qadir and several other accused persons from Bihar by police of other states, he said, adding Bihar government and its police were within their rights to protest the manner of such arrest.