Patna, May 2 (IANS): Senior ruling JD-U leader Uday Narain Choudhary, a former Speaker of the Bihar Assembly, on Wednesday said he was quitting the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) to denounce the state government's anti-Dalit policies.

"I have resigned from the JD-U over the party leadership's silence on increasing crime and atrocities against Dalits in Bihar and across the country. The government led by the party is also pursuing anti-Dalit policies," the Dalit leader told the media.

Choudhary has expressed his displeasure with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD-U President, since he teamed up with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Choudhary, once considered close to Nitish Kumar, said: "I was neglected, ignored and sidelined in the party and no attention was paid when I raised issues related to Dalits."

In recent times, Choudhary has joined hands with the RJD and former BJP leader Yaswant Sinha. On Tuesday, he led a march here in support of the Dalit cause.