"Chirag Paswan Opted To Be PM Modi's Hanuman Despite...": Tejashwi Yadav

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had thrown away the statue of Ram Vilas Paswan and even created a rift between the uncle Pashupati Paras and his nephew, yet Chirag Paswan has opted to become PM Modi's "Hanuman".

"Chirag Paswan used to say that the 'rich' Dalits should give up reservations. What PM Modi has done with Chirag Paswan, he has thrown the statue of Chirag's father, vacated his house, broken his party, snatched their 'bungalow' party symbol, and created a scuffle between uncle and nephew, still Chirag Paswan has become the 'Hanuman' of PM Modi," Tejashwi Yadav said speaking to reporters at Patna on Friday.

Taking a dig at Chirag Paswan for choosing to support PM Modi, Mr Yadav said, "If it had been any selfish man, he would not have supported PM Modi. But it is Chirag Paswan's own decision to stay with any party."

The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader claimed that Chirag Paswan, the president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has no knowledge of reservations or the history of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Tejashwi Yadav advised Mr Paswan to take some lessons from his father, Ram Vilas Paswan's speeches.

"Chirag Paswan has no knowledge about reservations or the history of RSS. He should learn a bit about RSS, and he can learn it through the speeches of Ram Vilas ji, his father who has been our leader. His father had said several times that BJP wants to do away with reservation. He called the BJP, a party of rioters and so he resigned from the union cabinet. This is known to everyone," Mr Yadav said.

In another dig at the LJP chief, Mr Yadav said that Chirag Paswan gets swayed away by what people say.

"Chirag Paswan is innocent, he gets swayed away by what people say. He should learn first and then speak. If PM Modi is there, reservations are in danger, and democracy and the Constitution are in danger. This is the truth," he said.

Mr Yadav said that several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and candidates have claimed that they will be changing the Constitution if they win more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

"One shouldn't remain closing ears and eyes. One should open one's eyes and ears and see that BJP MPs, leaders and candidates are clearly saying when the BJP wins more than 400 seats they will change the Constitution," the RJD leader said.

The 40 seats in Bihar are undergoing polls in all seven phases. In 2019, BJP-led NDA swept the state by winning 39 out of 40 seats, while Congress won just one seat. RJD, a formidable force in the state failed to open its account.

The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), the opposition coalition in Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, recently announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats. As part of the NDA, BJP and JD(U) will contest on 17 and 16 seats respectively.

Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest five seats, and Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest one seat each.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)