“Tried To Keep Family, Party Together, But Failed,” Tweets Chirag Paswan

Chirag Paswan formally expelled the rebels today, detailing the complaints all of which are mentioned in the letter written to his uncle on Holi this year.

• “Thank people who have faith in party”, Chirag Paswan tweeted
• Chirag shared a letter saying Paras was never happy with his elevation
• Letter spoke of sexual harassment case against Prince, now in Paras camp.

Patna: Chirag Paswan, removed from the top post of the Lok Janshakti Party started by his father today, responded today with an emotional tweet that packed a punch: a letter to his estranged uncle who was instrumental in Monday’s coup by five MPs of the party. In the letter, Chirag Paswan indicated that Mr Paras was hungry for power and recognition and resented the elevation of the GenNext of the family.

“I tried to keep together my family and the party created by my father but failed. A party is like a mother and a mother should not be cheated. People are paramount in democracy. I thank the people who have faith in the party. I share an old letter,” read Mr Paswan’s Hindi tweet.

The reference to his father was a reminder to his supporters that it was he and not Pashupati Kumar Paras, who was meant to the political heir of his father — a leader of the marginalised Paswan community of Bihar.Chirag Paswan formally expelled the rebels today, detailing the complaints all of which are mentioned in the letter, written to his uncle on the day of Holi this year.

In the letter, Mr Paswan alleged that Mr Paras was “never happy with my elevation as the national party president” or that of his cousin Prince Raj when he was made state president.Prince Raj is now part of the Paras camp.

Mr Paras, he further alleged, “Never bothered to counter the attack from Janata Dal leaders on Ramvilas Paswan when he was around”.The letter also spoke of a sexual harassment case against Prince and even alleges that Mr Paras had taken ₹ 25 lakh from Reena Paswan to conduct Ramvilas Paswan’s last rites.Mr Paras — the right hand man of Ram Vilas Paswan who had always remained in the background — had a huge reversal of fortune. Over the last 24 hours, he was accepted as the chief of the party in the Lok Sabha.

The 71-year-old first time MP and six-term MLA fell out with his nephew soon after Ram Vilas Paswan’s death. Sources close to him said that he complained of insult and ill-treatment from his nephew after he praised Nitish Kumar.

The two were also not on the same page over Paswan Junior’s decision to exit the NDA ahead of Bihar assembly polls and taking on Nitish Kumar at the hustings.

Politically indispensable to Ramvilas Paswan, Pashupati Paras had always stayed in the backroom. But party leaders said he was treated very fondly by Paswan Senior.

When Chirag Paswan took over the party, Mr Paras felt left out, said party leaders. Unlike his father, Chirag Paswan never consulted his uncle or considered his opinions, sources said.