Fernandes paid price for closeness to BJP: Paswan

New Delhi, Apr 12 (UNI) Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan today criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for ditching NDA convenor George Fernandes in the JD(U) presidential polls yesterday and said that the latter paid price for his closeness to the BJP.

Talking to senior UNI journalists at the news agency headquarters here, Mr Paswan said that Mr Fernandes by remaining as NDA convenor had alienated himself from the rank and file of Janata Dal (United) whose ideology does not go with the BJP.

He said that to remain as NDA convenor, Mr Fernandes gave support to the moves of BJP due to which he ultimately lost his post as JD(U) president.

Mr Paswan also criticised Mr Nitish Kumar for ditching Mr Fernandes in the polls while the latter had always supported Mr Kumar in advancing his political career.

Mr Kumar should have supported Mr Fernandes as the latter had supported him in becoming Bihar Chief Minister, he quipped.

The LJP leader said that Mr Fernandes was responsible for him committing mistake of going with BJP in the NDA government.

He said that Mr Fernandes convinced him that the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had become more secular and has fought and distanced himself from the RSS so he (Mr Paswan) should join the NDA.

''However, I realised my mistake and the moment Gujarat riots broke out I resigned and got out of NDA,'' he said.

UNI AJ RP HT1612