Lalu Yadav expels son Tej Pratap from RJD and family over controversial post

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from both the party and the Yadav family for a period of six years. The action follows a controversial Facebook post—allegedly made from Tej Pratap's account—that featured a photo of him with a woman identified as his “partner.”

The post, which quickly went viral before being deleted, claimed Tej Pratap had been in a relationship with the woman, named Anushka Yadav, for the past 12 years. This revelation sparked intense social media discussions, especially given Tej Pratap’s 2018 marriage to Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai. That marriage later turned sour, with allegations of mistreatment levelled against Tej Pratap and his family.

Reacting to the uproar, Lalu Yadav took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to issue a formal statement. He cited Tej Pratap’s “activities, public conduct, and irresponsible behaviour” as contrary to the values and traditions upheld by the Yadav family and the party.

“Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice,” Lalu Yadav stated. “Therefore, due to the above circumstances, I remove him from the party and family. From now on, he will not have any role of any kind in the party and family. He is expelled for six years.”

Lalu added that Tej Pratap is “capable of judging the merits and demerits of his personal life,” and urged others to use their discretion in choosing whether or not to associate with him.

Reiterating his long-standing stance on moral integrity in public life, Lalu remarked, “I have always believed in public accountability. The obedient members of the family have accepted this principle.”

In his defence, Tej Pratap Yadav, a former Bihar minister, claimed that his Facebook account had been hacked. However, the controversy has further deepened the internal turmoil within the RJD, with the party facing questions over leadership and unity.