Manjhi should be allowed to remain CM: Pappu Yadav

New Delhi, Feb 11: In a fresh twist to the political logjam in Bihar, RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav today came out in support of Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and asked his party chief Lalu Prasad to reconsider the decision to remove him.

Soon after the Patna High Court virtually stayed Nitish Kumar's recognition as the leader of JD(U) Legislature Party in place of Chief Minister Manjhi, Yadav said it has become clear that the meeting called by JD-U chief Sharad Yadav to elect Kumar as LP leader was "illegal and unconstitutional".

"The Patna High Court order proves that the decision to call a legislature party meeting of JD-U to elect Kumar as its leader was done in a haste and in an unconstitutional manner. "We should respect Constitution and shun arrogance. Manjhi has been taking good decisions for the underprivileged and minorities," Yadav said.

"If we want to fight communalism, we cannot do it after weakening the ideology of social justice. There is a need to project a hero of common man in Bihar. he said.

"At present, Manjhi (a Mahadalit) should be allowed to remain Chief Minister. He was doing a lot for the Dalits and minorities. I request Laluji to reconsider his decision supporting Manjhi's replacement with Kumar," Yadav added.

Describing the verdict in Delhi Assembly polls as "the defeat of Narendra Modi more than the victory of Arvind Kejriwal," Yadav said the message from this is that leaders should shun arrogance.

JD(U) has dismissed Manjhi from primary membership of the party, who has refused to resign daring Kumar to prove his support on the floor of the House.

PTI