"Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari": Trinamool MLA's Viral Video Prompts BJP Attack

Manoranjan Byapari called people from Bihar a "bimaari" or disease and says Bengal should be "disease-free", in a video that has gone viral.

'Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari': Trinamool MLA's Viral Video Prompts BJP Attack

Manoranjan Byapari is a first-time MLA who won from Hooghly in last year's Bengal election.

Kolkata:

A leader of Mamata Banerjee's party in Bengal has provoked a controversy with his anti-Bihar rant at a public meeting. Trinamool MLA Manoranjan Byapari has called people from Bihar a "bimaari" or disease and says Bengal should be "disease-free", in a video that has gone viral. 

"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, sou bimari' (One Bihar person is equal to 100 diseases)'. We don't want diseases. Make Bengal disease-free. Jai Bangla, Jai Didi Mamata Banerjee," Manoranjan Byapari said at the recent Kolkata Book Fair. 

He was also heard saying: "If everything is fine in Bihar, then s***la go back to Bihar." 

The remarks were called out by the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congress leader, who shared the video on Twitter. 

"First his leader Mamata Banerjee labels Biharis and UPites (those from Uttar Pradesh) as 'Bohiragotos' (outsiders) and now this clarion call to make Bengal free of Biharis," Mr Adhikari wrote.  

He also needled Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-politician from Bihar who was recently named as a Trinamool candidate for bypolls in Bengal. 

"My humble question to Bihari Babu Shri Shatrugan Sinha. Sir, what do you feel about this disgraceful rant of TMC MLA Manoranjan Byapari? Your new party colleague is very transparent about his feelings towards Biharis," Mr Adhikari tweeted: 

Mr Byapari is a first-time MLA who won from Hooghly in last year's Bengal election. According to reports, he learnt to read in prison when he was 24 and went on to write several books. 

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