Never educated himself: BJP on Tej Pratap’s new student outfit

The BJP said Tej Pratap Yadav, a former Bihar health minister and the older son of RJD president Lalu Prasad, was battling for his survival after he established a new organisation, Chhatra Janshakti Parishad, on Sunday, which is parallel to RJD’s student wing, Chhatra RJD.

In a statement, BJP spokesperson for the state, Nikhil Anand stated: ‘We sympathise with him. His father has treated the party like a personal fiefdom and failed to do justice to his own son. It is ironic, and a poor reflection on the RJD, that Tej Pratap Yadav, who never cared to educate himself, shall be floating a students’ body. No wonder the party has lost the trust of the people.’

According to reports, Tej Pratap said of his new outfit ‘will strengthen the party down to the village level and mobilise the youth in and outside the state.’

Tej Pratap said that his followers Prashant Pratap and Aryan Rai will be the president and vice president of the Chhatra Janshakti Parishad, respectively. ‘I have sought blessings of my father [Lalu]. Janshakti Parishad will work as a subsidiary of RJD,’ he added.

While the RJD and Tej Pratap claim there is no political motivation behind the move, many perceive it as a retaliation for RJD state unit president Jagdanand Singh’s removal of Tej Pratap’s close ally Aakash Yadav as Chhatra RJD president last month.

Singh and Tej Pratap haven’t been getting along lately. Singh had intended to resign following a feud with Tej Pratap and had even stopped going to the RJD headquarters, but was finally convinced to stay by Lalu Prasad and his younger son, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

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Tejashwi also sent a strong message to Tej Pratap last week, stressing that everyone must ‘respect party discipline.’ Tej Pratap had previously kept Tejashwi out of the Janmashtami hoardings he had erected.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tewari told the media, ‘No political meaning should be read into it. Tej Pratap already heads a subsidiary outfit — Dharmnirpeksh Sevak Sangathan. Likewise, his new political venture will work towards strengthening the party. There is no threat to Chhatra RJD.’