Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party president and ex-Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday expelled his eldest son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party for six years on charges of “irresponsible behaviour” and violation of family values. The move also signified an official cutting of all familial bonds between Lalu and his eldest son.
The move comes after a now-deleted tweet with a woman Tej Pratap referred to as his 12-year partner, which raised criticism following his unsettled and high-profile marriage of 2018 to Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of the erstwhile Bihar CM Daroga Rai.
“The public behaviour and irresponsible conduct of my eldest son are not in line with our family’s values and cultural ethos. Ignoring moral standards in personal life weakens our collective fight for social justice… Therefore, I remove him from the party and the family. He will have no role of any kind henceforth.”
निजी जीवन में नैतिक मूल्यों की अवहेलना करना हमारे सामाजिक न्याय के लिए सामूहिक संघर्ष को कमज़ोर करता है। ज्येष्ठ पुत्र की गतिविधि, लोक आचरण तथा गैर जिम्मेदाराना व्यवहार हमारे पारिवारिक मूल्यों और संस्कारों के अनुरूप नहीं है। अतएव उपरोक्त परिस्थितियों के चलते उसे पार्टी और परिवार…
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd)
Tej Pratap Yadav was born on April 16, 1988, in Gopalganj, Bihar. He is the eldest son of Lalu Prasad and ex-Chief Minister Rabri Devi. His younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, is the present Leader of the Opposition in Bihar and the political face of the RJD.
Tej Pratap previously served as Environment Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government. Despite holding key political posts, he has often made headlines for his controversial remarks, eccentric public appearances, and social media antics, rather than for his legislative work.
He got married to Aishwarya Rai in a highly publicised marriage in 2018. The marriage soon became stormy, with Aishwarya complaining of harassment at the hands of Tej Pratap and his family members. There was a legal and political battle that followed, with her father, erstwhile RJD minister Chandrika Roy, resigning from the party.
The newest controversy started with a Facebook post by Tej Pratap with a woman named Anushka Yadav, introduced as his 12-year partner.
“The one seen in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We are in love and have been in a relationship for 12 years,” said the post.
The post angered people on social media, with the users asking how the statement was justified in the context of his earlier marriage. Tej Pratap responded by saying that his Facebook page had been hacked and the post was done as part of an attempt to “defame and harass” him and his relatives. There is no confirmation from him if a police complaint has been lodged.
Lalu’s move to oust Tej Pratap is amidst increasing unease within the party over his behaviour, which has repeatedly found itself at loggerheads with RJD’s public narrative. His social media posts and public utterances have strained relations with the party as well as his immediate kin, especiallyhis younger brother Tejashwi.
Adding to the series of bizarre statements, in the first week of this month, Tej Pratap volunteered to join the army and fight against Pakistan, referring to his “pilot” training.
Lalu Prasad summed up his announcement with the words,
“He is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong in his personal life. Anyone who associates with him henceforth does so at their own risk.”
This sensational turn of events contributes another page to the continuing saga of Bihar’s most senior political clan, as the RJD faces intraparty tensions before the next round of political battles.
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.
