Auto lubricant thrown on LJP’s Pashupati Kumar Paras during Hajipur visit

Union minister for food processing industries and Lok Janshakti Party president Pashupati Kumar Paras faced protests while visiting his parliamentary constituency of Hajipur for the first time after becoming a Central minister last month, as some unidentified people threw automobile engine lubricant at him and waived black flags on Monday.

The incident took place near Chaurasia Chowk under Industrial police station area, where a group of political activists stopped Paras’ cavalcade, showed him black flags, raised slogans and threw auto lubricant on his person. At his next public programme, the minister was seen in fresh clothes. He did not name anyone involved in the protest.

Paras avoided questions about the possibility of the protests being a fallout of his ongoing power tussle with his nephew and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan for control over the LJP, following death of party founder and his elder brother Ram Vilas Paswan. The Election Commission of India is currently considering claims by both factions on the party symbol.

Both Chirag and Paras claim to be true inheritors of Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy. During his public programme, Paras said conferring Bharat Ratna would be the fittest tribute to the departed leader.

Paras was also shown black flags for delaying a visit to his constituency when people were facing hardship due to floods. A woman was also roughed up by security guards of the Union minister when she approached his cavalcade.

Paras’ representative Pramod Kumar Singh alleged that Bihar police and the district administration could not make proper security arrangements despite being aware of his visit. Meanwhile, the station house officer (SHO) of Industrial police station lodged a complaint about the incident and Vaishali police chief Maneesh has ordered a probe into it.