The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition filed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray seeking shifting of a case pending against him in a court in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur to Mumbai.
A Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain said that Raj Thackeray can approach the concerned high court for appropriate remedy following which his counsel preferred to withdraw the petition.
A Jamshedpur local court had on May 23 issued an arrest warrant against MNS chief Raj for his alleged provocative statement against Bihari community two months ago, after he failed to appear before it.
Sudhir Kumar Pappu, an advocate, said in his petition that Thackeray's statement against non-Maharashtrians, particularly Biharis, was not only objectionable but also a deliberate attempt to flare up regionalism and casteism in the country.
Pappu is also the spokesman of Rashtriya Janata Dal's East Singhbhum district committee.