Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Friday threatened legal action against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for making “false” statements about his stand on reservations. Paswan has denied Yadav’s claims that he advocated scrapping reservations for affluent Dalits and challenged Yadav to produce any such statement.
At rallies, especially in the Lok Sabha constituency of Hajipur, where Paswan is contesting, Yadav has been claiming that the LJP (R) chief has advocated scrapping reservations for affluent Dalits. When questioned by journalists, Paswan called the statements “false” and accused Yadav of spreading lies at rallies. He demanded that Yadav cease these claims, or he may resort to legal action.
Despite their close personal relationship, rooted in the ties between their fathers, late Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad, respectively, political rivalry appears to have strained their rapport. The LJP (R), an NDA partner, is contesting five out of 40 seats in Bihar and faces a direct contest with the RJD in three of these, including Hajipur. The opposition party has fielded Shiv Chandra Ram, a former MLA, against Paswan in Hajipur, which was considered his father’s pocket borough.
