‘Free To Make Own Decisions’: Tejashwi Distances Himself As Lalu Ousts Tej Pratap From RJD, Family
Reacting to the dramatic expulsion of his elder brother from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), party leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Sunday that political and personal lives should be viewed separately, and that his brother is free to make his own decisions. “We cannot tolerate such things. We are working and are dedicated to the people of Bihar. If it’s about my big brother, political life and personal life are different. He has the right to make his personal decisions. He is an adult and free to make decisions,” he told reporters.
According to news agency ANI, Tejashwi further said, “Our party’s chief has made it clear, and ever since he has said so, it is his feelings. We didn’t question such things… What he is doing in his personal life, nobody asks before doing anything. I have come to know about it via the media only.”
Lalu Yadav Ousts Tej Pratap From RJD, Family Over Relationship
His comments came shortly after RJD president and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announced the expulsion of his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party for six years, and declared that he was also removing him from the family.
The announcement was made in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where the RJD supremo said, “Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in accordance with our family values and traditions. Therefore, due to these circumstances, I remove him from the party and family. From now on, he will not have any role of any kind in the party and family. He is expelled from the party for six years.”
The move followed a viral Facebook post that claimed Tej Pratap Yadav, a former minister in the Bihar government, was in a relationship with a young woman. The post sparked backlash on social media, with many users questioning the 37-year-old politician’s conduct, given that he had married Aishwarya Rai, the grand-daughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Rai, in 2018. However, Tej Pratap denied the allegations, writing on X, “My social media platform was hacked and my photographs were edited wrongfully.”
The marriage between Tej Pratap and Aishwarya had made headlines at the time, but within months, Aishwarya left his residence, alleging she had been driven out by her husband and in-laws.
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