'People wondering how milkman can have tea on jet'

A day after he was heavily trolled for celebrating his birthday on a chartered plane, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Tuesday hit back at his detractors, claiming that some people were unable to put up with the fact that a milkman was having tea in a jet.

The RJD heir apparent, who turned 30, posted on social media photos of him cutting a cake and drinking tea on board a plane, drawing flak from many who questioned the lavish celebrations, given the poor state of the economy.

"Some are wondering how a milkman can have tea on a plane. This is an allegation being levelled on me. I get disturbed after seeing some people worrying about me. Unfortunately, their masters (murshid - the one who shows the right path) are not happy with them," he tweeted in Hindi.

People from the Yadav community, by tradition, engage in rearing cows and selling milk.

"I eat a guava, corn, bhunja, chat (snacks) on roads and kebab on a plane. However, it seems, someone else is having a stomach ache," the RJD leader, who was a student of Delhi Public School in the national capital, added.

Lashing out at Yadav, BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said the RJD leader should stop playing victim card by calling himself a milkman.

"Even BP Mandal, Daroga Rai, Nityanand Rai are cow herders and milkmen. Please don't play victim card by calling yourself a milkman. Those belonging to Charwaha community never cry for themselves. Don't issue sentimental dialogues," he insisted.

The saffron party leader, on a lighter note, asked Yadav, who was once a part of Delhi Daredevils team in the Indian Premier League, not to take criticisms to heart.

"No one is levelling any allegation against you or ridiculing you. Be it in the air or on Twitter, it's your choice Don't take it to heart. Be happy," Anand added.

The BJP spokesperson had on Monday said that Yadav was "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" and the Lalu Prasad- led RJD lacks the culture of grooming its leaders.

"Tejashwi is enjoying all sorts of luxuries as a politician. He celebrates a birthday on a chartered flight... Such leaders sully the name of their parties," Anand had said.

Terming the incident as a "black mark" on Yadav's political career, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh sought to know who paid the bills for the celebrations.

"Your father is lodged in jail while you are shamelessly celebrating your birthday on a chartered plane. You should be ashamed of your act.

"Thank you Tejashwi jee for letting people know how poor the prince of social justice is... Your family has made a mockery of Bihar. I want to know who paid the bills for the celebrations," Singh had stated.

RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwary, however, came out in defence of Yadav and said that "parties opposed to the RJD have become restless after the recent bypoll debacle".

"Can't we celebrate birthdays now? Tejashwi jee is the son of a poor man. He is the son of Lalu Prasad jee who has fought for the rights of poor people," Tiwary added.

The RJD won two assembly seats, previously held by the ruling JD(U), in the recently concluded bypolls, after drawing a blank in the general election earlier this year.