Detractors falsely linked me to woman, now claiming she gave birth to my child: Tej Pratap

Tej Pratap addressed a press conference here late in the evening, vowing to take legal action against the 'Jaichands' (a metaphor for traitors referring to a 10th century Rajput chieftain who had colluded with Afghan invader Muhammad Ghori), including a Rajya Sabha MP and a member of the legislative council.

Patna: Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav on Sunday accused his detractors of spreading rumours that a woman with whom they had "falsely" linked him has given birth to his child.

He addressed a press conference here late in the evening, vowing to take legal action against the 'Jaichands' (a metaphor for traitors referring to a 10th century Rajput chieftain who had colluded with Afghan invader Muhammad Ghori), including a Rajya Sabha MP and a member of the legislative council.

"I am distraught at rumours on social media that a woman with whom I had been falsely linked several months ago, which resulted in my expulsion from the party, has given birth to my child," said Yadav, who was expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, headed by his father Lalu Prasad, following a post that had appeared last year on his Facebook page.

He claimed that the viral social media post, which stated that he had been "in a relationship, for 12 years" with the woman, was a result of "hacking" of his Facebook profile by "the five Jaichands".

"There has been some suspense about who the Jaichands I have been speaking about are. Here are the names -- Mukesh Raushan, Sanjay Yadav, Shakti Singh Yadav, Rameez and Sunil Singh," Yadav alleged.

Notably, Sanjay Yadav is a sitting RJD MP and Sunil Singh is an MLC, while Shakti Singh Yadav and Mukesh Raushan are former MLAs, and Rameez is a close friend of Tejashwi Yadav, the younger sibling of Tej Pratap, who was recently elevated to the post of the party's national working president.

None of the persons named by Tej Pratap Yadav in the press conference was available for comments on the allegations.

Yadav said he came to know about rumours after he was told that Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has "congratulated" him upon the birth of the child.

"Recently, I hosted a well-attended feast on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. This has made my detractors wary of the prospects of my party. I will seek legal action against them. I will move the court. I have also sought an appointment with Home Minister Samrat Choudhary," Yadav said.

"I beg my detractors to let me live in peace. I know the person with whom the woman is in a relationship and who, I believe, is the father of the child. They are causing mental anguish to me by dragging my name," added Yadav, blowing hot and cold.