RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav from the party for six years and also disassociated him from the family. The move came in the wake of a social media controversy, prompting a strong reaction from younger brother and senior party leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Tejashwi Yadav has distanced himself from the controversy surrounding his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who was expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the family by their father and party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. Reacting to the development, Tejashwi said, “We cannot tolerate such things. We are working with dedication for the people of Bihar. As for my elder brother, political life and personal life are two separate matters. He has the right to make his own personal decisions.”
Tejashwi further clarified, “He is an adult and free to take his own decisions. Our party chief Lalu Yadav ji has made his stance clear. Since he has said so, it reflects his sentiments. We haven’t questioned that. What someone does in their personal life is not usually discussed beforehand. I came to know about Tej Pratap’s expulsion through the media.”
Lalu cites breach of values in expulsion note
In a written statement, Lalu Prasad said, “Disregard for moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The conduct, public behaviour, and irresponsible actions of my elder son are not in line with our family’s values and traditions. Therefore, in light of the current circumstances, I am distancing him from both the party and the family.”
He added that Tej Pratap will no longer hold any role or responsibility in the party or the family, and has been expelled for six years. “He is capable of deciding for himself what is right or wrong in his personal life. Those who choose to associate with him may do so at their own discretion. I have always upheld dignity in public life, and obedient members of the family have followed the same principles,” Lalu wrote.
Controversy over Facebook post
The controversy began on Saturday evening when Tej Pratap Yadav shared a photograph of himself with a woman on his Facebook account. In the post, he wrote, “I am Tej Pratap Yadav and the person in the photo with me is Anushka Yadav. We have known each other and been in a relationship for the past 12 years. I’ve wanted to share this with you all for a long time, but didn’t know how. So today, I’m expressing my feelings through this post. I hope you understand.”
Soon after the post went viral, Tej Pratap claimed his account had been hacked and that the photo was fake. He alleged that the image was generated using artificial intelligence and was part of a conspiracy to defame him.