Sacked LJP leader Keshav Singh accuses Chirag Paswan of Maoist links

PATNA: Keshav Singh, a former general secretary of the Bihar unit of the LJP, has lodged a police complaint against party president Chirag Paswan accusing him of having links with underground Maoist outfits.

Keshav Singh was expelled from the party last week after he issued a number of statements in the media criticising Paswan for pulling out of the NDA and going solo in the recently held assembly election.

Singh lodged a complaint at the Shastri Nagar police station here on Sunday, alleging that he had received a threatening telephone call from Amar Azad, a close aide to Paswan, after he criticised the LJP leadership and flagged lack of internal democracy.

In the FIR, Singh also alleged that Paswan, who represents Jamui in the Lok Sabha, has maintained "close links" with Maoists.

He also claimed that in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the son of LJP founder and former union minister late Ram Vilas Paswan, made his electoral debut, the help of Maoists was taken to ensure his victory.

The LJP had fought the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019 as an NDA ally.

Police said the allegations made against Chirag Paswan are "under investigation".

Meanwhile, reacting to the complaint lodged by the expelled leader, Azad admitted that he had called up Singh "as a party colleague, in an attempt to make him see reason, but gave up when he appeared adamant".

"Nonetheless, he has tried to tarnish my reputation as well as that of our national president. Both of us are Dalits. I will sue him for defamation and also under the SC/ST Act. I am seeking legal opinion," Azad told reporters.

The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was enacted to prevent commission of atrocities against the members of SCs and STs.

A person held guilty under the law is liable to be imprisoned for six months which may be extended up to a year.

Azad had unsuccessfully contested from Bochaha constituency in the assembly elections.