Patna, Feb 15 (PTI) Leaders of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP(RV) on Sunday staged a protest against an RJD MLA’s reference to late Ram Vilas Paswan as “bechara” during the ongoing budget session of the Bihar legislative assembly.
The protesters called the RJD anti-Dalit and burnt the effigy of RJD’s national working president Tejashwi Yadav.
RJD MLA from Bodh Gaya constituency, Kumar Sarvjeet, had on Wednesday described Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder and former union minister Ram Vilas Paswan as a “Bechara” (pitiable) in the context of his political journey.
Sarvjeet had also urged the Speaker to ensure the installation of a statue of Paswan at a prominent intersection in Patna to highlight his contribution to Bihar politics.
The LJP was formed in 2000 by the Dalit leader who died in 2020. Following a split in 2021, the party divided into Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan, and the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by the deceased leader’s brother Pashupati Kumar Paras.
LJP(RV) state president Raju Tiwari and minister Sanjay Kumar Paswan took part in Sunday’s protest.
Talking to reporters, Tiwari said, “The use of such a word for our party founder in the assembly demonstrates that Tejashwi Yadav’s thinking is anti-Dalit and anti-social.” Tiwari asserted that his party members will protest against the RJD in the assembly on Monday.
Ram Vilas Paswan was a prominent Dalit leader who served as a Union minister under six Prime Ministers in his five-decade-long political career.
Sanjay Kumar Paswan demanded that strict action be taken against the MLA.
“Because of such behaviour, they (RJD) have been reduced to a mere 25 seats in the assembly, and in the coming days, they will become zero,” Paswan said.
He demanded that the RJD MLA apologise publicly in the assembly, otherwise “LJP(RV) legislators will protest in the assembly on Monday.” PTI SUK NN
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