Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 16

Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan on Wednesday blamed Janata Dal (United) for engineering the split in his party and rejected the decisions taken by the faction headed by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, saying the party’s constitution does not authorise them any such power.

In his first interaction with media after the split in the party, he struck a combative note by describing himself as “sher ka beta” (lion’s son) and asserted that he will fight for the cause of the party founded by his father Ram Vilas Paswan.

While blaming the JD(U) for the split, he steered clear of questions regarding the role of the BJP in the development and added that what has happened is also an internal matter for which he will not target others.

It is going to be a long battle, he said, as the group headed by him fights the faction of five other party MPs, led by Paras, to claim ownership of the LJP.

The JD(U), he alleged, had been working to cause a split in the party even when his father was alive.

“A conspiracy was hatched behind my back while I was ill,” Paswan claimed.

He’d previously written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking him to reconsider his decision of recognising Pashupati Kumar Paras as the LJP’s parliamentary leader.

Noting that Article 26 of the constitution of his party empowers the Central Parliamentary Board of the LJP to decide “who would be Leader of our party in the Lok Sabha”, Chirag in his letter said, “The decision of announcing Pashupati Kumar Paras, MP, as the Leader of LJP in the Lok Sabha is contrary to the provision of the constitution of the party”.

Further the young leader through his letter also brought to the notice of the Speaker and put on record that the five LJP members of Lok Sabha “have already been removed by National Executive Members of our party”.

In the letter the young leader went on to demand that in view “of above facts and submission, it is requested to review the decision dated 13.06.2021 and to issue a new circular in favour of Chirag Paswan, MP, as Leader in Lok Sabha of LJP”.