Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan questioned the silence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] on his much publicised advocacy for installing a Muslim as the chief minister of Bihar.

After releasing his party manifesto in Patna on Wednesday, Paswan said he had approached Sonia, who is also the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, to support the proposal for a Muslim as chief minister.

'UPA's chief ministerial candidate understood'

"But she (Sonia Gandhi) kept mum over the issue, much to my surprise," he said.

Paswan told newspersons in Patna that he and his party are still firm on the issue of appointing a Muslim chief minister in Bihar.

"It is our mission, we stand by it," he said.

I will not buckle under pressure: Paswan

It may be recalled that last month, Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh had rejected Paswan's demand for a Muslim as chief minister, describing it as unreasonable and one which would only help the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar assembly polls.