Wednesday, January 12 2005 18:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a jolt to RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) ahead of Bihar elections, senior party leader and Union Minister Taslimuddin has resigned as Chairman of the Parliamentary Board and attacked Laloo Prasad, charging him of being "anti-Muslim".

Peeved over being ignored on consultations over ticket distribution for the Bihar Assembly elections, he accused Laloo of "neglecting" him despite appointing him Chairman of the party's Parliamentary Board just a month back.

An angry Taslimuddin shot off a letter to Laloo resigning from the party post saying that he felt slighted by the party high command even in seat sharing negotiations with Congress.

However, party sources sought to downplay the resignation by Taslimuddin, who is a prominent Muslim leader in Bihar and represents Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency, a Muslim stronghold in North Bihar, saying it was "pressure tactics" to garner more seats for his supporters in the coming elections.

They said, in the past too Taslimuddin had expressed anti-Laloo views only to get larger pound of flesh.

Taslimuddin, facing a string of criminal charges, is also in the eye of a storm over NDA (National Democratic Alliance)'s vociferous opposition to his appointment at the Centre.