Lalu, Paswan and Nitish doing lip service for Muslims: Tariq Anwar

Nationalist Congress Party leader Tariq Anwar today accused RJD chief Lalu Prasad, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar of being responsible for removal of the first Muslim chief minister of the state Abdul Ghafoor.

The three had 'ganged up' and ensured the ouster of Ghafoor within 15 months, Anwar alleged as they could not countenance a Muslim chief minister.

Claiming that the three were using Muslims as vote banks and were 'anti-Muslim', he said the three were seeking minority votes in the upcoming assembly eletions. "The Muslims will teach these leaders a lesson for taking minortity votes for granted."

Charging the ruling NDA and RJD-LJP with hobnobbing with communal and criminal elements to win the polls, Anwar said that his party would not give tickets to history sheeters and those with questionable backgrounds.

"The NCP is a secular party and will not give credence to history sheeters in selection of party nominees," Anwar told PTI after addressing a meeting of the minority cell of the party here.