Paswan picks on troops

Since the situation had not changed since April and US forces were still in control, a decision to send Indian troops would be tantamount to ‘‘breach of privilege’’, Paswan added.

Paswan’s moves on the troops issue is part of a larger strategy to recast himself as a secular Dalit and anti-imperialist leader of national significance. Ever since he left the NDA Government in protest against the Modi regime’s handling of the post-Godhra situation over a year ago, Paswan has been making slow and steady efforts to break out of the ‘‘leader from Bihar’’ mould and extend his base to other parts of the country.

He campaigned extensively, even if without success, in Gujarat last year and followed that up in the Himachal Assembly elections where his party even managed to win one Assembly seat. But it is the Dalit and minorities base that he has been consistently targetting, with the long-term aim of making his fledgling party a rival to the BSP.

Following a rally in Ropar yesterday, Paswan today disclosed plans to hold a ‘‘Dalit Chetna’’ cycle march from Talhan (the Punjab village where Dalits clashed with Jat Sikhs sometime ago) to Parliament later this month. The rally will be flagged off on July 11 and reach Parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session on July 21.

The purpose of the rally is to focus on the plight of the Dalits, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, in the wake of the Jhajjar and Talhan incidents, Paswan said. He blamed the respective state governments as well as the NDA Government at the Centre for allowing culprits in the Jhajjar massacre to go scot-free and messing up the situation in Talhan.

While announcing details of the cycle rally at a press conference today, Paswan also decried the manner in which all the accused in the Best Bakery incident were exonerated for lack of evidence. He demanded the dismissal of the Narendra Modi government for facilitating the miscarriage of justice in the Best Bakery case.

Taken together, the ‘‘Dalit Chetna’’ rally, the strong condemnation of the Modi regime and the proposed privilege motion on the Iraq issue reflect a well thought-out strategy of the LJP leader to emerge as a secular, subaltern Dalit leader in the run-up to the next general elections, after which small parties may once again be in a position to play a big role.