War of words between two factions of Lok Janshakti Party continues

PATNA: The verbal duel between two factions of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Jamui MP Chirag Paswan and his uncle and Union food processing industries minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, respectively, refuses to die down.
On Saturday, functionaries of both the groups attacked each other and reiterated their support base. While Chirag-led faction alleged that Paras was busy meeting senior BJP leaders in Delhi, the rival group described Chirag’s ‘ashirvad yatra’ as an eyewash.
Chirag-led faction’s spokesperson Rajesh Bhatt said the Jamui MP received massive support of the people from all sections of the society during his yatra, which was launched from a Dalit hamlet near Hajipur in Vaishali district on July 5.
“People have posed faith in the leadership of Chirag. It is evident from the overwhelming response that he received from the people during his yatra. It has proved his popularity among masses,” Bhatt said.
Chirag reached Jamui on Saturday where he was accorded a warm welcome by the supporters of the party at different places, such as Sikandara, Pirhinda, Mahadev Simaria Bazar and Kuchhari Chowk. Welcome arches were erected at different locations.
On the other hand, Paras faction’s spokesperson Shravan Agrawal reiterated that the Union minister was the national president of the LJP, which got acceptance from none other than the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Agrawal said before the split in LJP, Chirag used to spend his time in New Delhi and seldom visited Bihar. “He is now spending more time in Bihar and seldom visits Delhi,” he added.
Agrawal described ‘ashirvad yatra’ as an eyewash. “Bhaade par ke log yatra mein shameel kiye ja rahen hain,” he alleged.
On Friday, Paras along with party’s state chief Prince Raj called on vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu at the latter’s residence in New Delhi. Earlier, Prince had met Union ministers Amit Sah and J P Nadda. Agrawal, however, described their meeting as a courtesy visit after Paras’s induction into PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
“That Paras led LJP is a part of the NDA government at the Centre sums it all,” Agrawal said.