The Bharatiya Janata party leadership is trying its best to do damage control after its party leader Pramod Mahajan told media persons in Mumbai on Thursday that students from Bihar studying in various institutions in Maharashtra should not indulge in what he called 'dadagiri' (bullying) and confine themselves to studies.

Mahajan effigy burnt for remarks

Embarrassed BJP leaders, particularly party General Secretary Arun Jaitley who is hosting a high tea for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Saturday evening at 9 Ashok Road, admitted in a private conversation that this was the last thing that they could have bargained for.

Angry Rashtriya Janata Dal workers burnt effigies of Mahajan in Patna against his castiest comment and running down the people of Bihar as illiterates.

Last week, the Mumbai police had arrested students from Bihar and Maharashtra after a fight broke out between the two student factions.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar, however, denied the allegations.

"The media has got it wrong. What he said was that whether they students belong to Bihar or Maharashtra they should exercise restrain and avoid getting involved in fights that is what he meant by 'dadagiri'. There is no question of showing disrespect to the students from Bihar," he said.