NEW DELHI/PATNA: RJD may have succeeded in doing what BJP couldn’t. After a video of an RJD worker making derogatory remarks against Reena Paswan, wife of late Ram Vilas Paswan and mother of Chirag, at a meeting attended by party chief Tejashwi Yadav went viral, Chirag’s uncle Pashupati Paras lashed out at RJD for insulting his sister-in-law in an indication that the abuses hurled from just below the podium may help the fractious Paswans come together.
“At Tejashwi Yadav’s meeting in Jamui, some antisocial element made objectionable comments against my sister-in-law. I condemn this and demand Bihar govt investigate the matter and take strict action,” said Paras, who split LJP to protest against Chirag’s attempt to take charge of the party and to push back against his claim to be the sole legatee of party founder and Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan.
Reacting to the clip, Chirag said he was shocked that Tejashwi didn’t react although he was present on the dais. “Had someone passed such remarks against his family, I would have given a befitting reply,” he said, adding that he had good relations with Lalu Yadav’s family.
This was the first first instance since the uncle and nephew parted ways when Paras had come out in support of Chirag’s family. He had rebuffed BJP’s efforts to re-unite the squabbling branches of the clan, leaving the party with no option but to leave him out and stick with Chirag. Although the call was determined by hard-nosed estimate about Chirag having been accepted as political heir of Ram Vilas Paswan, it was not an easy decision.
Tejashwi, however, feigned innocence, claiming he was addressing the crowd at that time. “I have seen the video… You know it’s difficult to hear what one says amid a crowd,” he told reporters. “One should not give importance to such things. It is difficult to notice who is making what kind of videos in crowds,” he said, adding he wouldn’t have tolerated such remarks had he heard them.