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Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi stirred a political controversy after he suggested that Pashupati Kumar Paras was the rightful political heir to late Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan.
“Ram Vilas Paswan is no more. But, Pashupati Paras is his heir. We believe that Pashupati Paras can fill the void created due to Ram Vilas Paswan’s passing away,” Manjhi said while speaking to reporters during Ram Vilas Paswan’s death anniversary.
Manjhi’s assertion has prompted a sharp backlash from the LJP (Ram Vilas), which is also an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. Even the LJP (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Pawan, is an NDA ally in the state.
LJP (Ram Vilas) Jamui MP Arun Bharti vehemently opposed Manjhi’s remarks, accusing him of seeking to fracture the unity of the Dalit community for political advantage.
Bharti also warned that Jitan Ram Manjhi’s comments could undermine the political prospects of Dalit communities by weakening their collective representation.
“Only Chirag Paswan, the Union Minister for Food Processing, possesses the strength and capability to advance the unfinished political agenda of Ram Vilas Paswan,” Bharti asserted, questioning Paras’s qualifications to inherit Paswan’s political legacy.
“Paras lacks merit. This is why we don’t pay attention to him. Chirag Paswan is the sole true torch-bearer of Ram Vilas Paswan’s five-decade-long political legacy,” Bharti added.
Bharti credited Chirag Paswan’s leadership and strategic campaigning for the NDA’s recent success in the Lok Sabha elections, asserting that it was his efforts that propelled the alliance to victory.
He further emphasised Chirag’s critical role in addressing key issues with the Prime Minister, including concerns over lateral entry into high-ranking government positions, the demand for a “quota within a quota”, and amendments to the Waqf Board, which resulted in prompt government action.
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