NEW DELHI: Left to fend for himself by his party, Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan on Wednesday said in Delhi that his legal fight against the rebel group will continue. Describing himself as ‘sher ka beta’ (son of a lion), he accused his uncle Pashupati Paras and five party MPs of hatching a conspiracy against him and the party when he was unwell.
The lawmaker from Jamui in Bihar blamed the Nitish Kumar-led JD-U for engineering a split in his party, but avoided replying to questions on the BJP’s role. He rejected the decisions taken by the faction headed by his uncle, saying the party’s constitution did not allow Paras and others to take such steps.
Chirag said he did not feel orphaned after the death of his father last year, but feels like one after a faction of the party led by his uncle removed him from the post of parliamentary leader. He said many in the LJP wanted to side with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar during the Assembly polls last year. These people were in favour of the “politics of comfort”, he alleged. “If I had to do the same, I would have had to bow before Nitish Kumar. I could not do that,” said Paswan.
Referring to the five LJP MPs who sought his removal as LJP president, Chirag claimed the party constitution did not permit this action. A new party chief can be appointed in case of the incumbent’s death or resignation, he said.
In his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Paswan wrote: “Since Article 26 of the LJP constitution empowers the Central Parliamentary Board of the party to decide who will be Leader of our Party in Lok Sabha, hence, the decision of announcing Pashupati Kumar Paras MP as leader of the party in the Lok Sabha is contrary to the provisions of the party constitution.”