BJP targets Tej, Tejashwi over presence of outsiders at official meetings

The party said that the happenings are a reflection on the dominance of Lalu family over Bihar’s political landscape

The opposition BJP in Bihar on Friday flagged the presence of a private staff and a relative at official meetings of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and his elder brother and cabinet colleague Tej Pratap Yadav respectively.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who has come out of political hibernation to lead the charge against "betrayal" of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, shared on his Twitter handle photographs of the Deputy CM with Sanjay Yadav, who has for long been the point man of the RJD heir apparent, besides officials of health and road construction department which he holds.

Earlier, Modi had shared photographs of Tej Pratap Yadav with officials of the latter’s ministry for environment, forestry and climate change where Shailesh Kumar, married to RJD president Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP, Misa Bharti, was present.

Modi, who had served as the state’s deputy CM for nearly a decade and a half, said: “For so many years, we remained in power in Bihar. Never could we think of bringing family members or supporters to official meetings. But these are changed times. The happenings are a reflection on the dominance of Lalu family over Bihar’s political landscape.”

The wily leader also remarked: “No IAS officer can dare raise an objection to the entry of people who have no business being present at official meetings. And (Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar has no choice, but to look on helplessly.”

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The RJD hit back reminding Modi that his own party was not above reproach.

“While the BJP was in power till a fortnight ago, the son of the then Deputy CM Tarkishor Prasad was known to be giving orders to officials. The then road construction minister Nitin Nabin’s family members were often seen at his office,” said RJD spokesperson and former MLA Shakti Yadav.

“Sushil Modi should know that neither of the two photographs of Tej Pratap was of any review meeting, as suggested by him. These were just get-togethers where presence of family members does take place. As far as the Deputy CM is concerned, Sanjay Yadav has been Tejashwi Yadav’s key aide for long and he is tipped to be formally appointed as a personal assistant,” Yadav added.

Another RJD spokesperson Chitaranjan Gagan also shared on Twitter a photograph of Union minister Ashwini Choubey at an official function where his son can be seen standing behind him.

Gagan also shared a Facebook post in which Ram Naresh Prasad Yadav, the husband of BJP MLA Gayatri Devi, proudly claimed to have “summoned” officials and directed them to address grievances of the people.