I will not buckle under pressure: Paswan

Against the backdrop of Congress seeking to cajole him into supporting Rashtriya Janata Dal-led alliance in poll-bound Bihar leaving aside the chief minister issue, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday asserted he would not buckle under pressure or threats from any quarter and would stick to his stand on a Muslim heading a government in the state.

''I have no lust for the ministerial berth and I am ready to make any sacrifice. I am in United Progressive Alliance only to stop communal and fascist forces represented by National Democratic Alliance from coming to power,'' Paswan told a conference of extremely backward classes organised by his party in Patna.

Paswan said he would not bow down under pressure from any quarter, ''I cannot betray the 'garib guruva' (poor people) of the state who have affirmed full faith in me.''

'I am still fighting': Paswan

''I have always tried to sail the boat against the course of the river. I have faced opposition but ultimately I succeed,'' Paswan said while ridiculing Congress' and RJD's stand on Muslim becoming a chief minister.He asked the two UPA allies to explain why a Muslim should not be made the chief minister.

Paswan sticks to Muslim CM stand

Launching an  attack on RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar for rejecting his proposal when the government-formation strategy was being explored before the dissolution of the state Assembly, Paswan charged the two leaders with being equally responsible for driving the state into another election in a short span.