The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday demanded the recall of the Bihar Governor and Dalit leader R S Gavai after he was heckled in the Bihar assembly, and at the same time called for the expulsion of 25 lakh Biharis from Mumbai to their home state.

MNS spokesperson Shishir Shinde, upping the ante of its violent anti-North Indian campaign, referred to the slogan shouting by a few Bihar MLAs during the Governor’s customary address in Patna. The MLAs reportedly shouted slogans like “Gavai go back to Maharashtra”, which has been capitalised by the MNS.

Shinde described the slogans as “not only an insult to the Bihar Governor but also to crores of Dalits,” and urged the Congress president Sonia Gandhi to send Gavai back to Maharashtra.

At the same time, Shinde, who is the MNS’ general secretary, said 25 lakh Biharis in Mumbai should be sent back to their home state. “The Congress and (Railway Minister) Lalu Prasad should first teach lessons of good behaviour to Bihar MLAs before giving advice to the people of Maharashtra,” Shinde said.

Shinde quoted the party chief Raj Thackeray as saying the unruly conduct of the Bihar MLAs “was the reason why he (Raj) was opposed to outsiders in Maharashtra.”

“Why did I have to launch an agitation to protect the culture of Maharashtra? The answer to this question lies in the manner in which the MLAs of Bihar behaved in front of the the Bihar Governor, who is a Maharashtrian,” Raj, who is gagged under the bail conditions, was quoted as saying.

The MNS has asked skilled Marathi workers in Nasik region to register themselves with the party to enable them to get jobs in industrial units.