No association with party & family: Lalu expels son Tej Pratap over pics

After a day former minister Tej Pratap Yadav stirred a controversy by posting pictures with a woman and claiming his relationship with her, Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday expelled him from the party for six years on account of irresponsible behaviour, failing to conform to public probity and family values.

- Anirban Guha Roy

PATNA:

The decision from the 77-year-old party head, who is ailing for last many years but continues to remain at the helm of the party, is seen as a move to salvage the party's image by portraying itself as an outfit that adheres to high moral standards and also avoid giving the rival parties, especially the ruling BJP-JD(U)-led NDA a chance to attack the RJD over Tej Pratap's 'personal life' ahead of the Assembly polls in the state slated later this year.

The 37-year-old former environment minister and sitting MLA from Hasanpur (Samastipur) district, Tej Pratap, elder son of Lalu, had got married to Aishwariya Rai, daughter of former minister Chandrika Rai, in 2018. A divorce case of Yadav with Rai is going on in the court.

In a tweet on his official X account, Prasad said, "In private life, showing disregard to the moral values weaken the social justice struggle. My elder son's activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour is not in conformity to our family's values and culture. So, under these circumstances, I distance my son from the party and my own family. From now on, he would have no association with our party and family. He is being expelled from the party for six years."