Patna: Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav drew flak on Thursday for his threat to mount a physical assault on the Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Even as RJD, Bihar’s main Opposition party with the largest number of MLAs in the Assembly, backed Tej Pratap, leaders of the ruling JD(U) and BJP issued a series of statements attacking the 29-year-old Tej Pratap.

Without naming Sushil Modi, Tej Pratap had said at a public meeting in Aurangabad on November 19, that he would “beat him up”. A video clip of the controversial speech went viral on the social media on Wednesday evening.

“He (Sushil Kumar Modi) is insulting me by inviting me to his son’s wedding. When I attend the ceremony, I will expose him there in front of everyone… He has cheated the people and worked against the poor. I will enter his house and beat him up there,” Tej Pratap is heard saying at the public meeting.
He described himself as “a different kind of person” and “emotional”. He said: “Like Lalu Yadav, my speech reflects what is in my heart”.

Daring Tej Pratap to act on his threat, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh said: “If he has the guts to do it, then let him do it. Others are not going to sit still. This is Bihar and there is rule of law under Nitish Kumar’s leadership”.

“Tej Kumar is a deranged son of a convicted politician, and he must reform himself fast,” said Neeraj Kumar, another JD(U) spokesperson.

Sushil Modi, saddened by Tej Pratap’s threats, said: “I have attended wedding ceremonies of Lalu’s daughters despite our political differences. Threats like this remind one of Bihar’s era of jungle raj. Lalu should inculcate good manners in his sons”.

BJP’s youth wing activists burnt effigies of Lalu and Tej Pratap in Patna and also announced a reward of Rs 1 crore to anyone who slaps Tej Pratap in public.

“There is nothing so bad in what he (Tej Pratap) has said. The kind of politics JD(U) and BJP are practicing is very toxic,” said RJD state chief Ram Chandra Purve, who was elected to the post for the fourth consecutive time earlier this month.