LJP Crisis: Pain of PM Modi’s ‘Hanuman’, BJP left me alone in crisis: Chirag Paswan- Another regret has come out of the mind of Chirag Paswan, who is fighting a political battle with uncle Pashupati Paras. Chirag Paswan has openly mentioned this in a special interview given to the English newspaper The Hindu. PM Modi’s ‘Hanuman’ Chirag Paswan is pained that the BJP left him alone in the crisis. Read and what Chirag said..
BJP left me alone – Chirag
When Chirag Paswan was asked whether his equation got messed up because he damaged the NDA in the Bihar elections. Is this the reason why BJP also left him?
Chirag Paswan- Yes, I think he has left me. No one from BJP has contacted me. It is sad because my father Ram Vilas Paswan and I wholeheartedly supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leadership when no one was ready to join hands with Narendra Modi ji. When Nitish left BJP, it was my father who stood with BJP on Ram Mandir, Article 370, CAA and Triple Talaq.
Question- Do you regret your decision to go alone and campaign against JDU in Bihar Assembly Elections 2020?
Chirag Paswan- Not at all. The kind of support I am getting from the people of my state is only because I contested that election alone. Everyone wanted an alternative to Nitish Kumar. The LJP was offered only 15 seats in the alliance. Had I agreed to it, then by the time of the next election, the only option left with the LJP would be to merge with a regional or national party. Also, you can’t move forward with someone who doesn’t respect your ideology. Nitish Kumar wants to set his agenda without giving space to any other ally.
Nitish humiliated my father- Chirag
Chirag Paswan further said that ‘Coalition governments run on Common Minimum Programme. And more importantly, how can I go along with someone who has humiliated my father, tried to defame, defeat, and destroy him? This is not the first time he is breaking my party. He did so in 2005, when he lashed out at LJP legislators after the February elections. Just like that, he snatched the LJP MLA who won from Matihani. This has been their habit.
Question- Who do you hold responsible for the separation from LJP? BJP or JDU?
Chirag Paswan- This is an ironic question. How do I blame someone when my own family members leave me? But as I said, JDU has always been ahead in breaking the parties. Especially JDU in particular has always been dividing the Dalit leadership. They were after my father and are now against me. He divided the Dalits and the Mahadalits, leading to a sub-division among the Scheduled Castes. They cannot accept that a Dalit is in such a strong position. I got 25 lakh votes and 6% vote share. This happened when I contested not all 243 seats but only 135 seats.
Question- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla without any delay recognized the claim of the parliamentary leader of Pashupati Nath Paras. Doesn’t this clearly indicate the hand of the BJP in the coup?
Chirag Paswan- I would not like to read between the lines. I met Om Birla on Saturday and explained the LJP’s process of selecting the parliamentary leader. I told him that he should have at least spoken to me before taking this decision. Even the rule book of Parliament defines it very clearly, that the leader of a parliamentary party is to be decided through the party and not through the members. MPs can come and go. Parties are here to stay.
Question- Paras faction has accused you of autocracy?
Chirag Paswan: Had I been autocratic, I would not have got the support of 66 members of the LJP’s national executive. Only nine members of the National Executive, including five MPs, left the party. Out of 135 candidates, 114 have submitted open letters of support to me. Only four district presidents have gone with him in Bihar. If I was autocratic, why did so many of them decide to stay with me.
Question- What is Chirag Paswan going to do next?
Chirag Paswan- I will go back to the people of Bihar. I need his blessings now that my own elders have betrayed me. I am ready to fight this battle till the end. I have all the legal evidence to support my claim. I told Hon’ble Speaker Om Birla ji that I have faith in him, but I am ready to take the fight to the highest stage. I cannot give up the party that my father has built with his sweat and blood. These people have not betrayed me, they have betrayed my father.
