New Delhi: With ailing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday returning to his home turf after three years, his elder son Tej Pratap stirred a controversy alleging humiliation at the hands of the party’s state unit chief Jagadanand Singh and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Sunil Singh.
Alleging that he was stopped from meeting his father by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) “agents”, he later staged a protest outside his parents’ residence.
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Tej Pratap, who was earlier in the day seen at the Patna airport with his younger brother Tejashwi, was later seen fuming as he left his mother Rabri Devi’s 10, Circular Road bungalow in the Bihar capital.
"I have nothing to do with the RJD henceforth. I am, though, a devoted son and will continue to dote on my father,” he told the media.
Accusing the state RJD chief and the MLC of preventing him from spending some time with his father, he added: “It was such a happy day, but I was humiliated even today.”
Tej Pratap, who was reportedly upset since morning when the posters that were put up at some places welcoming the RJD patriarch did not feature him, but Tejashwi, Rabri Devi and sister Misa Bharti among others, lashed out at the state RJD chief.
“Until I am able to throw him out of the RJD, I would have nothing to do with the party. I would take a major step in the coming days,” ANI quoted Tej Pratap as saying.
The RJD supremo, who was released from jail a few months ago, arrived in Patna accompanied by Rabri Devi and Misa Bharti.
Yadav, who had been putting up at his daughter’s residence in the national capital for medical help, was released on bail earlier this year after serving four years in prison following his conviction in cases related to the multi-crore fodder scam.
The BJP took a jibe at the RJD post Tej Pratap’s outburst.
Linking Tej Pratap’s “humiliation” to his ugly marital dispute with wife Aishwarya, whose father Chandrika Roy is now with the Janata Dal (United), BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary and state spokesman Nikhil Anand said the “politically mature” elder son has been sidelined in the RJD.
“The very family members who had supported Tej Pratap Yadav in humiliating Aishwarya have now turned their backs on him and treating him as if he is a lunatic,” said Anand in a statement.
“Tej Pratap is politically mature, but he has been sidelined in the party founded by his own father, despite being the elder son. He could never understand the conspiracy against himself,” he added.