Patna HC cancels BJP MP Paswan's LS membership

As the Patna High Court on Thursday cancelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Chhedi Paswan's Lok Sabha membership for concealing information in election affidavit, the latter said he respects the court's order, but it was politically motivated and he would surely challenge the verdict.

"I respect the court's order, but it was politically motivated. I will challenge the verdict. How my membership could be cancelled on this basis? Four lakh people had voted for me, and a single person will end my (Lok Sabha) membership. I have many constitutional remedy, and I am not worried about it," the former Sasaram MP told ANI.

"I have nothing to hide, I will surely challenge this verdict," he added.

He further said, "There was no criminal case against me. The matter was related to a project over Durgavati river. I was staging a sit-in protest in the interest of people, which is not a criminal matter, it's a social issue. The issue of public interest has been turned into criminal offence."

Pleading innocence, the former BJP MP said, "Though the information was not required in the affidavit, I missed it inadvertently. The mistake was not made by me, actually. My son was filling the form and he asked me to canvass in my constituency and he would get the form completed. I thought he got it completed. This is the matter."

The judgment was delivered by a single judge bench headed by K.K. Mandal on a plea filed by Ganga Mishra, who accused Paswan of concealing information regarding criminal cases registered against him in the affidavit filed with the Election Commission.