Patna, Feb. 7: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today strongly reacted to New Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna’s remark slamming north Indians for being “proud” of breaking rules.

Commenting on Khanna’s statement, Kumar said: “The people sitting on the high positions must maintain utmost restraint while speaking. He (Khanna) should not have spoken like this.”

Khanna, while addressing a Delhi Traffic Police’s programme recently, said: “North Indians feel pride in violating rules and regulations. They are the ones who break the rules most.”

Nitish Kumar recalled that Khanna had recently issued an order making it mandatory for all people from other states living in New Delhi to carry identity cards.

“Then, I had to write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get such an objectionable order repealed,” Kumar said, adding “It’s difficult to understand why people of late have developed this trend to denigrate north Indians. It is like fashion.”

Referring to Raj Thackeray’s comment terming Chhath Puja a nautanki (drama) and regarding Uttar Pradesh Divas, Nitish Kumar said he personally spoken to his Maharastra counterpart Vilas Rao Deshmukh last night requesting him to take “appropriate” action against Raj Thackeray for his “tireless tirade against the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh”.

Nitish Kumar also sought the safety and security of all non-Marathis living in the capital of Maharashtra and in the state.