The simmering tension between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu PrasadтАЩs elder son and MLA Tej Pratap Yadav and the partyтАЩs state unit president Jagdanand Singh spilled out in the open on Thursday when the two publically clashed for the first time.
Matters came to a head on Wednesday evening, when Singh visited the RJD office after a gap of several days and appointed Gagan Kumar as the partyтАЩs youth wing president, replacing Akash Yadav, a nominee of Tej Pratap.
Venting his ire, Tej Pratap tweeted, тАЬThe president forgot that the party runs by the constitution and the constitution of RJD says that without giving notice, you cannot remove any office-bearer of the party. What happened today was against the constitution of RJD.тАЭ
тАЬHe owes an explanation for this,тАЭ he told a news channel on Thursday.
Singh, a close aide of Lalu Prasad, shot back saying he is answerable only to the RJD chief.
тАЬLalu Prasad is the president of RJD and no one else can ask him for clarification except him. Who is Tej Pratap?,тАЭ he said, adding that it was his responsibility to appoint RJDтАЩs student wing president. тАЬWhen I did not appoint anybody, where does the question of removal arise? I have appointed Gagan Kumar to this post,тАЭ he told reporters at RJD office in Patna on Thursday.
Hours later, Tej Pratap threatened to lodge a court case against Singh for тАЬviolatingтАЭ the partyтАЩs constitution and demanded that the party take action against him. тАЬThere is a concerted effort to demoralize youths in the party,тАЭ he said while talking to media persons on Thursday evening. He said he will discuss the matter with Tejashwi.
тАЬI will continue to fight unilateral decisions,тАЭ a visibly angry Tej Pratap said.
The tension between Jagdanand Singh and Tej Pratap Yadav has been building up for some time. During a meeting of RJDтАЩs student wing recently, Tej Pratap had used words like Hitler from the stage while referring to Singh.
тАЬThere can be no Hitler in RJD. Words like Hitler have no place in the party. ThatтАЩs why whatever someone says, I donтАЩt pay attention to it,тАЭ Singh later said in response. тАЬThere are three people on constitutional posts in RJD, president Lalu Prasad, leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav and the state unit president (himself),тАЭ he said.
Singh had stopped coming to the party office after Tej PratapтАЩs diatribe against him and even skipped the I-Day function at the party office.
On Wednesday, he came to party office after having a closed-door meeting with Tejashwi Yadav and announced his decision to appoint a new youth wing president.
On his part, Tejashwi, Lalu PrasadтАЩs younger son and RJDтАЩs heir apparent, sought to play down the war of words between his brother and the state president. тАЬEveryone has their own opinion. When I am the leader of opposition and national president is Lalu ji, there is no problem. Everything will be fine soon,тАЭ he said.
Meanwhile, the ruling Janata Dal (United) seized the opportunity to take a swipe at the rival party. тАЬTej Pratap is hurt because nobody in his party gives importance to him. It is a fight for the chair between the two brothers,тАЭ said JD(U) vice-president Sanjay Singh.
