Pashupati Kumar Paras trashes nephew Chirag Paswan

Staking claim over his brother’s legacy, Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras on Tuesday (August 22) asserted that he is the political “heir” of former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and his late brother Ram Vilas Paswan, while Chirag Paswan will inherit only his father's financial assets by law.

Ram Vilas Paswan, a veteran Dalit leader and a political heavyweight from Bihar, passed away in October 2020 after a prolonged illness. The LJP split into two factions following differences between his son Chirag and brother Paras.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Delhi, Paras also asserted that he will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Hajipur in Bihar, claiming that Paswan Sr had asked him to fight elections from the constituency even in 2019. He had asked “me to carry forward his legacy and fulfill his unfinished dreams”, said Paras, who heads the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) and represents Hajipur in Lok Sabha.

Claiming to be the political heir of his late brother, Paras said, “According to law, Chirag Paswan is the successor of Ram Vilas Paswan's property. But I am the (political) heir of my late elder brother as was Lord Ram's brother Lakshman in the Ramayana.”

He further claimed, “He (Ram Vilas Paswan) had asked me to contest from his Hajipur Lok Sabha seat after he was elected to Rajya Sabha, saying he trusted me more than anyone in the family. I was not willing to contest from the seat, but he made me join the fray from his constituency."

Hajipur seat

Paras' assertion comes at a time when his nephew Chirag, who heads the LJP (Ram Vilas), is keen on contesting from Hajipur in the 2024 general elections.

Both the LJP (Ram Vilas) and the RLJP are part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Asked if there is any possibility of reconciliation between him and his nephew, Paras said, “Never.” Referring to some past incidents, the RLJP chief said he and his family members will “never forgive Chirag” for the way he treated them when Paswan Sr was hospitalised and after his death.

"The BJP has brought Chirag into the NDA fold to prevent division of votes. I told them (BJP) that I have no problem with him coming to the NDA,” Paras said. There is no relation between political affairs and personal affairs, he added.

“When Chirag came to attend the NDA meeting (last month), he touched the prime minister's feet and received his blessings. He then came to me and touched my feet as well, and I also blessed him from the core of my heart. But, an hour later, he staked claim over the Hajipur seat, saying he will contest from there,” Paras said.

He said he will never forgive him for that.

(With agency inputs)