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New Delhi, October 25 (IANS) Union Food Processing Industries Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing it of exploiting the Muslim community for votes and depriving them of top political posts, while BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday supported him, saying that Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav consider the Muslim community as their bonded labourers.
Speaking to IANS, Shahnawaz Hussain said, “Chirag Paswan is absolutely right. In 2005, Lalu Yadav had an opportunity when Ram Vilas Paswan had promised that if Lalu Yadav announced to make any RJD leader the Chief Minister, he would give his full support. But Lalu Yadav did not agree to that. Even today when there is no possibility of him becoming the Chief Minister through RJD, he is still trying.” His son is the Chief Minister and he has announced to make Mukesh Sahni the Deputy Chief Minister.”
He further said, “Muslims, the largest section of the population, which is considered a vote bank, have been betrayed by the Grand Alliance. Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav consider the Muslim community as their bonded labourers, they believe that they can secure their votes by showing fear of the BJP. But Muslims are no longer satisfied with this. Whatever Chirag Paswan has said is absolutely true.”
Earlier in the day, Chirag Paswan urged the community to break free from what he called “bonded vote banks”.
Paswan reminded that in 2005, his father and LJP founder, late Ram Vilas Paswan, had taken an important political step to support the idea of a Muslim chief minister in Bihar, but the RJD had refused to support it.
Chirag Paswan said in a post on
He accused RJD of maintaining the same stance even after two decades.
“RJD was not ready to give a Muslim Chief Minister even in 2005 and even today in 2025 it is neither ready to give a Muslim Chief Minister nor a Deputy Chief Minister!” Paswan made the comments while questioning the party’s commitment to inclusion.
Chirag Paswan further appealed to the Muslim community to demand proper representation.
“How will you get respect and participation if you remain a bonded vote bank?” he asked while appealing to Muslim voters.
The Union Minister’s comments come in the wake of the grand alliance’s recent announcement of naming Tejashwi Yadav as the chief ministerial face and Mukesh Sahni as one of the deputy chief ministerial candidates for the upcoming 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
The absence of a Muslim leader from any top position within the alliance has created discontent. Many AIMIM leaders have also expressed disappointment over this.
–IANS
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