A complaint was filed against Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi at a Bandra court on Tuesday for his alleged remarks on migration of north Indians to Maharashtra in an election rally in Uttar Pradesh. The complaint was filed by Farooq Ghoshi, vice president of Samajwadi Party’s city unit.

"Kab tak Maharashtra jaake bheek mangte rahoge?” Gandhi had said at an election rally. “The community was upset about the choice of words (bheek) by Rahul Gandhi. People live here respectfully and earn money,” said Ghosi.

Expressing shock over the use of word by Gandhi, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said: “He is the fourth generation descendent of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and one would not expect him to say such things.” Pawar said there was nothing wrong in people moving from one state to another in search of a better livelihood and not all of them travelled to beg. Meanwhile, a section of the north Indian community was upset about the words used by Rahul Gandhi. “What he has said is not correct. His choice of word is not right,” said Ram Dubey, former member of Uttar Bharatiya Mahasangh. Dubey has been living in Mumbai for the 19 years.

“His opinion about the state is right but his word is not. There are a lot of words that could have been used instead,” said Dubey. Sahabuddin Khan (60), a resident of Dharavi who runs a North Indian Education Society, said: “If people deliver in UP, why we will go anywhere. No one likes to get kicked around.”

Political parties too panned the statement. BJP leader Gopinath Munde said, “I totally condemn the statement made by Rahul Gandhi. His statement is against the national integrity and will only lead to fight between people from different regions.” Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said, “Whenever we speak on this line, we are labeled as regional chauvinist. Will they say the same thing about Rahul Gandhi?”

MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, “Rahul Gandhi has a minimal IQ level. UP has been the constituency of the entire Gandhi family. They (Gandhi family) forced the people of UP to beg in front of other states.”