India: Lalu’s son Tej Pratap Yadav fined for violating traffic rules on Holi

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav, son of former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, was fined on Sunday for violating traffic rules during Holi celebrations in Patna.

He was seen riding a scooty without a helmet, and it was discovered that the vehicle’s insurance and pollution certificates had expired. Tej Pratap was fined a total of Rs4,000, including Rs1,000 for not wearing a helmet and penalties for the expired documents.

In a separate incident, Patna Police took action against Constable Deepak Kumar, who was seen dancing in uniform during the Holi celebrations at the instruction of Tej Pratap, who also serves as the MLA for Hasanpur.

Tej Pratap was caught on video telling the constable, “If you don’t dance, you’ll be suspended. Don’t mind, it’s Holi.” As a result, the constable was sent to the police lines, and another officer was assigned in his place.

The incidents have sparked political controversy, with ruling JD(U) and BJP leaders criticising Tej Pratap for disrespecting security personnel. JD(U) Working President Sanjay Jha remarked that the people of Bihar were watching the behaviour of RJD leaders.

JD (U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan pointed out that Tej Pratap’s actions were reminiscent of the “Jungle Raj” era under his parents, accusing him of continuing the same disrespectful practices. BJP spokesperson Kuntal Krishna echoed these sentiments, criticizing the RJD for perpetuating the same culture.

This controversy has intensified political rivalry in Bihar, with the JD(U) and BJP using it to question RJD’s past governance ahead of upcoming elections. The incident has reignited the debate between “Jungle Raj” and “Good Governance,” with the ruling parties highlighting RJD’s alleged misuse of government officials.

The video has triggered sharp criticism from NDA leaders.

Sanjay Jha, the JDU Working President and Rajya Sabha MP told IANS, “You can imagine the state of that party (RJD). The people of Bihar are watching everything.”

Rajiv Ranjan, JDU Chief Spokesperson stated, “Earlier, RJD leaders used to make officers prepare khaini (chewing tobacco), now they are making them dance.”

“Tej Pratap has forgotten that Bihar is no longer under his parents’ Jungle Raj but under Nitish Kumar’s good governance. If RJD leaders treat security personnel this way, maybe they don’t need security at all. If this continues, RJD won’t remain the main opposition party for long,” Ranjan said.

BJP also slammed Tej Pratap Yadav over the video. They accused RJD of continuing its past “Jungle Raj” practices.

Kuntal Krishna, a BJP spokesperson said, “Tej Pratap Yadav has acted exactly according to RJD’s culture. During the Jungle Raj of his parents, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, security personnel were made to do the same kind of work. Back then, RJD leaders forced security officers to sing and dance. Today, Tej Pratap is doing the same.”

This controversy has further intensified the political rivalry between RJD and NDA in Bihar. Ruling parties are using this incident to question RJD’s governance record ahead of the upcoming elections.

The incident has reignited the Jungle Raj vs Good Governance debate, with JDU attacking RJD’s past record of allegedly misusing government officials.