On ocassion of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan's birth anniversary, his son Chirag Paswan on Monday broke down while launching a book based on his father's life. The LJP leader is currently indulged in a family feud with uncle Pashupati Paras after getting ousted as party president.
During the birth anniversary, Chirag said, "I am Ram Vilas Paswan ji's son, sher ka beta hoon main (I am a lion's son). Like papa was never scared, I will also never be scared."
He further said that he will fight and win as well - an oblique reference to the coup in his party last month where he was sidelined by his uncle.
"No matter how much people try to break us or make us bow down - like papa always walked on path of truth without getting scared, just like that we will also fight and we will win," the former actor-turned-politician said.
The late Paswan, meanwhile, remains a popular figure in Bihar even after his death, as is evident from the rich tributes paid to him by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad who virtually inaugurated his party's silver jubilee function and addressed workers from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Pashupati Paras, who is currently the MP from his deceased brother's pocket borough Hajipur, presided over a function held at the LJP state headquarters here to mark late Paswan's birth anniversary and iterated that his nephew has gone astray, forcing him to part ways, and demanded a Bharat Ratna for the party's founding president.
The LJP, in an overnight coup last month, plunged into a crisis after five out of the party's six lawmakers rebelled against Chirag Paswan's leadership. He was then replaced as the LJP chief by Mr Paras who orchestrated the coup. The 71-year-old is a first time MP and a six-time MLA.
With the party dispute, Chirag few days ago on alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal said "Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad Yadav have always been close friends and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and I know each other since childhood, we'd a close friendship, he is my younger brother." He also said that when election time will come in Bihar then LJD will take a final call on the alliance.
