"Old Guard Uneasy": Tej Pratap On Finding Party HQ Locked On Republic Day

Patna: Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday took a potshot at the “old guards of the RJD” when he found the gates of RJD Bihar headquarters in Patna shut where he had gone to greet party workers on the occasion of Republic Day. 

Tej Pratap then summoned the caretaker of the premises, got the gates opened and went inside where he vented his ire at the party’s state president Ram Chandra Purve who had reportedly ordered that the office remain shut for the day.

“This is a serious matter. No party keeps its gates shut on the Republic Day. It is an occasion when party colleagues get a chance to interact. It seems the old guard in the party is uneasy with the young blood, symbolised by myself and Tejashwi (younger brother),” Mr Yadav told reporters.

“On finding the gates locked, I called up Madan, a loyalist of my father who keeps the keys to the premises in his custody. I was shocked when he told me that the premises had been locked for the day on directions of Ram Chandra Purve,” he said.

“I have noticed that my Janata Durbar has left some of the old guard uneasy. But Purve needs to do some reality check. If he wants to remain in the party, he would do better to behave himself. I am going to talk to Tejashwi and demand stern action,” Mr Yadav said.

Incidentally, Mr Purve who was not immediately available for comments on Tej Pratap’s outburst attended a Republic Day function held at the Deshratna Marg residence of Tejashwi Yadav, a kilometer away from the RJD’s Birchand Patel Marg office.

A former Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi is at present the leader of the opposition in the state assembly and has emerged as the party’s de facto leader in the absence of Lalu Prasad, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases and undergoing treatment for multiple ailments at a Ranchi hospital.

Mr Yadav has, of late, begun to hold court at the party office where he listens to people grievances and redresses these in a style reminiscent of his father. His Janata Durbar has triggered speculations of sibling rivalry within the party.

The brothers, however, make it a point to stand holding each other’s hands at public functions in a show of solidarity, the latest instance being the celebration of birth anniversary of veteran socialist leader and their father’s political mentor Karpoori Thakur a couple of days ago.