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Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary defends the ₹314.2 crore Bihar Bhavan project in Mumbai amid MNS leader Yashwant Kiledar’s threats and criticism from RJD and BJP leaders.
Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary defends the ₹314.2 crore Bihar Bhavan project in Mumbai amid MNS leader Yashwant Kiledar’s threats and criticism from RJD and BJP leaders. (Pic: Instagram)
The Bihar government on Friday hit back sharply at a threat issued by a leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to stall the construction of a proposed Bihar Bhavan in Mumbai, asserting that the city and the state of Maharashtra belong to the entire country and not to any one party.
Responding to remarks by MNS leader Yashwant Kiledar, Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary challenged the party to try stopping the project, saying the state government would go ahead with the construction.
“What kind of language is this? How can an MNS leader speak like this?” Choudhary said. “This is not a monarchy. Mumbai and Maharashtra belong to the entire nation. We dare the MNS to stop the construction of Bihar Bhavan. The project will move forward.”
The Bihar Cabinet recently approved ₹314.2 crore for the construction of a 30-storey Bihar Bhavan on a 0.68-acre plot near the Mumbai Port Trust, aimed at providing accommodation and support facilities for migrants from Bihar living in the city.
The proposal, however, has drawn opposition from the MNS. On January 20, Kiledar said his party would not allow the construction, arguing that the Bihar government should prioritise issues within the state instead. “There are bigger concerns like farmers’ problems, costly education, inflation and unemployment,” he said, questioning why ₹314 crore was being spent on a building in Mumbai instead of healthcare facilities in Bihar.
The issue has also triggered political reactions within Bihar. The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) condemned the MNS leader’s remarks but criticised the Nitish Kumar government’s decision, calling it a case of misplaced priorities.
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh said the funds could have been used to build a modern cancer hospital in Bihar. “When cancer patients in Bihar lack proper treatment facilities, spending ₹314 crore on a Bhavan in Mumbai is shocking,” he said. “Bihar needs healthcare infrastructure, not a Mumbai Bhavan.”
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party also criticised the MNS leader’s remarks. BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said the Bihar Bhavan was a policy decision of the state government but described the language used by the MNS as “unacceptable”.
“The decision to build Bihar Bhavan is for the Bihar government to take. But issuing threats in this manner is unpardonable,” Paswan said.
January 24, 2026, 4:16 PM IST
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