Patna/Mumbai: A new political controversy has erupted in Mumbai over the proposed ‘Bihar Bhawan’, a state-of-the-art facility to be built by the Bihar government at a cost of ₹314.20 crore. The project, aimed at providing affordable and world-class accommodation for cancer patients from Bihar seeking treatment in Mumbai, has drawn sharp opposition from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray.
The Bihar government has secured a one-acre plot from the Mumbai Port Trust on a 90-year lease for the construction of the building. While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hailed the initiative as a life-saving facility for patients, the MNS has termed it an unnecessary and politically motivated project, threatening to block its construction.
MNS Corporator Leads Protest
MNS’s newly elected corporator Yashwant Killedar has taken the lead in opposing the Bihar Bhawan. He has warned that his party will not allow the building to come up in Mumbai. Killedar argued that when basic education and healthcare facilities in Bihar remain in poor condition, there is no justification for spending such a huge amount in Mumbai.
He further said that the land and resources of Mumbai should not be allotted for buildings meant for other states, citing the hardships faced by Maharashtra’s farmers and unresolved local issues. According to him, Bihar should instead invest the money in strengthening hospitals and infrastructure within its own state.
BJP Hits Back, Calls It ‘Petty Politics’
Reacting strongly to the MNS protest, BJP state spokesperson and corporator Navnath Ban accused the party of indulging in “petty and divisive politics.” He said that Raj Thackeray’s politics of regionalism and constant विरोध (opposition) had already hurt MNS badly in the recent Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
The BJP maintained that opposing a project meant for the welfare of cancer patients was morally wrong. “This building is not about politics; it is about saving lives and easing the suffering of thousands of patients from Bihar who come to Mumbai for treatment every year,” Ban said.
A High-Tech Facility for Patients
According to Manoj Singh Rajput, Mumbai spokesperson of the Bihar Foundation, the Bihar Bhawan project is the result of nearly 15 years of sustained efforts and the personal initiative of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The 70-metre-high modern building will house 178 rooms and a 240-bed dormitory dedicated to cancer patients.
In addition, the complex will include offices of the Investment Commissioner, the Tourism Department and the Bihar Foundation. It will also feature a 72-seat conference hall, a cafeteria and parking space for 233 vehicles, making it a fully equipped, high-tech facility.
Politics of Regionalism Back in Focus
The controversy has once again brought MNS’s core ideology into the spotlight. Since its formation, Raj Thackeray’s party has built its politics around the concept of ‘Marathi pride’ and ‘sons-of-the-soil’ (regionalism). Opposition to North Indian migrants, especially from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, has long been a key electoral plank for the party.
Critics say that with its shrinking vote share and declining political relevance in recent elections, the MNS is now trying to regain attention by raising such contentious issues. They argue that this brand of regionalist politics undermines national unity and harmony.
Project Likely to Go Ahead
Despite the political uproar, the Bihar Foundation has clarified that construction of the Bihar Bhawan will begin soon. The state government remains firm on its stand that the project is essential to support thousands of Bihari patients who travel to Mumbai every year for specialized medical treatment.
As the war of words intensifies between the MNS and the BJP, the fate of the Bihar Bhawan has become the latest flashpoint in Mumbai’s ever-charged political landscape—pitting regional politics against humanitarian needs.
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