The family feud in the family of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad came to fore once again on Tuesday when his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav practically side-lined his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav.
While all the leaders of the party huddled together at Lalu’s official residence to attend an important meeting, Tej was missing from the scene. It is not that he was not available or out of town; he was very much present at the house where the meeting was being held.
Not only that the former Health Minister was denied space, Tejashwi refused to associate with elder brother’s scheduled programme on Tuesday. Tej had organised a padyatra from Patna to Sitabdiara by students wing of the party and former Deputy CM was supposed to flag off the he event.
Students continued waiting or Tejashwi for hours outside the Circular Road house but he didn’t come out. Finally Tej flagged off his much publicised programme. No other leader worth name was present there to support Tej.
This family feud escalated at a time when family patriarch Lalu is struggling with his depression and high sugar level at RIMS in Ranchi while serving his jail term.
Furthermore, the RJD meeting chaired by Tejashwi with all the senior leaders, including Rabri Devi and Misa Bharti, in attendance out rightly rejected demand for reservation to poor among upper castes. Only a couple of days back Tej had supported this demand and wanted the party to back it to gain support of upper castes.
The meeting demanded from the Centre to make public the data of caste census. Tejashwi said that BJP and RSS didn’t want to bring the figures in public domain. Lalu too had been demanding publication of these data. Tejashwi told newsmen that his party would continue supporting dalits rights and not tolerate any amendment in SC/ST Act. “The Narendra Modi Government has an agenda to gradually finish reservation policy. It is also contemplating to make drastic changes in the constitution and we will oppose it tooth and nail and may start a big agitation, if needed,” he declared.