The Amit Shah’s controversial statement that a BJP loss in Bihar would see crackers bursting in Pakistan was condemned by the Mahagathbandhan leaders, who also went to complain against him with the Election Commission with request to extern Shah from Bihar.

RJD supremo lalu Prasad said it was sheer insult of entire Bihar and its people. “With his statement he (Shah) has not insulted Biharis but also branded them Pakistani. Crores of people irrespective of their religion have and will vote for us and he called them Pakistanis,” said lalu and alleged that Shah had gone mad.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said the BJP has realised that ground has slipped under its feet and resorted to the tactics for which the party is known. “With defeat staring at BJP, the party has forgot its promises of development and invoking communal issues,” said Rajasthan PCC chiefon Friday.

Senior Congress leader Randip Singh Surjewala who submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission said Shah has heaped insult on 6.5 crore people of Bihar by uttering crackers in Pakistan remark. “He has challenged the loyalty of Biharis to their nation. But the Bihar will know how to answer such forces,” he said.

The Mahagathbandhan leaders also took serious exception to the BJP advertisements published in local newspapers accusing the Nitish Kumar Government of protecting the ‘terrorists’ and making Bihar a flourishing ground for them. “The BJP has been promoting lies, false propaganda and communal tension through its advertisements. This has resulted in vitiating the electoral process by promoting communal tension.

A similar petition was presented by RJD’s Manoj Jha to Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar here on Friday and demanded action against Shah. He asked if case could be filed against lalu Prasad on charges of inflammable comments why BJP chief should go scot free.

Film actor Nagma who is campaigning for Mahagathbandhan said, “Amit Shah is right. Pakistan is bursting crackers for the last 17 months and they are falling on the borders.”

“Badly desperate, Shah has lost mental balance and has resorted to divide and rule policy,” reacted Bihar JD(U) president Bashistha Narain Singh. He alleged that purpose behind issuing such statement was to foment communal tension by Shah.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, however, continued his tirade against Nitish Kumar and lalu and said the duo could put entire nation under threat for their selfish ends.

In a tweet, he alleged that during the past 25 years, the bordering areas of Bihar have been converted into nursery for terrorism.

“With eyes on the votes of one community, Bihar was made a safe haven during lalu and Nitish regime. Soft attitude was adopted in view of the religion of the terrorists. Yasin Bhatkal was arrested in Nepal but Bihar police refused to take him in custody. An ADG rank officer coming to interrogate Bhatkal was returned by Nitish from Muzaffarpur and Bihar DGP neither questioned the most wanted terrorist nor taken in remand before handing him over to central agencies,” Modi tweeted.