Metropolitan Magistrate Neeraj Gaur's direction came on a plea filed by Delhi-based lawyer Prem Shankar Sharma against Thackeray, seeking directions to lodge a case against him for provocative and anti-national speech.

The complaint alleged that in a speech in Mumbai Aug 31, Thackeray termed Biharis in Mumbai as infiltrators and threatened that they would be pushed out of Maharashtra.

"Thackeray's remarks that Bihar natives who have been living in Maharashtra shall be kicked out were defaming. His provocative statement is against national integration as the Indian constitution has given the right to any person to live anywhere in the country peacefully," said Sharma.

Earlier, the Delhi Police, filing an action taken report, had told a court that it was facing several legal hurdles in lodging an FIR against Thackeray for allegedly branding Bihar natives in Mumbai as infiltrators.

The police had said that neither the comments were made in the national capital nor the newspapers which carried them are printed here.