Row over Lalu Prasad’s son-in-law attending official meet

BJP slams Mahagathbandhan government as Deputy CM Tejashwi’s aide too seen in a meeting

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s political aide allegedly attending official meetings in Patna along with ministers and officials has courted controversy while, BJP slamming the government, asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whether he has allowed son-in-laws and political aides of Ministers to attend official meetings in his government.

Pictures of both Lalu Prasad’s elder son-in-law Shailesh Kumar and Sanjay Yadav who is political aide of Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, attending official meetings have gone viral on social media and tweeted by State BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi and Nikhil Anand. Mr. Shailesh, husband of Lalu’s elder daughter and party Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, is seen in the picture attending meeting of Bihar State Pollution Control Board in Patna on August 18 along with Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and other officials.

Mr. Shailesh is said to be close to Lalu’s elder son and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Tej Pratap. In previous Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government (2015-1017) too he was often seen with the then Health Minister Tej Pratap.

Similarly, a picture of Mr. Sanjay, political aide of Deputy CM Tejashwi attending an official meeting too surfaced on Friday. Mr. Sanjay is seen sitting along with Mr. Tejashwi and other senior department officials’ allegedly in an official meeting of State Health Department. Tejashwi Yadav is also Health minister of the state. Sanjay Yadav has been long time political advisor of Tejashwi Yadav and known as Man Friday of him. It is also said that Sanjay Yadav had played an important role in chalking out negotiations with JD(U) in formation of new mahagathbandhan government in the state. Earlier, Tej Pratap Yadav had accused Sanjay Yadav for making confusion between him and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.

Both chief minister Nitish Kumar and Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav had taken oath of office on August 10 after formation of new mahagathbandhan government in the state while, other 31 ministers were sworn-in on August 16 with their portfolios allocated the same day.

Meanwhile, senior State BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi slammed the Mahagathbandhan government while tweeting pictures of both Mr. Shailesh and Mr. Sanjay attending official meetings. “Has Chief Minister Nitish Kumar allowed son-in-laws, brother-in-laws and political advisors of ministers to attend official meetings?”. “Tej Pratap remains in news for all wrong reasons and now as a Minister he seems to have outsourced his duties to his brother-in-law”, Mr. Modi alleged while, adding that “this is RJD government and things like this will continue to happen and CM Nitish Kumar will have no option but to just look at it”. “Shailesh Kumar was not only attending the meeting but even conducting it,” alleged Mr Modi, “but no official will dare to say anything on this”.

BJP leader and party’s OBC morcha Nikhil Anand too tweeted, “Shailesh Kumar is not only brother-in-law of Tej Pratap Yadav but he is the most talented, Knowledgeable and understanding person than all the ministers of the RJD quota and if he continues to bless Tej Pratap, he (Tej Pratap) will surely prove to be the best minister of Nitish cabinet”, tweeted Nikhil Anand taking a dig at Tej Patap Yadav and the new mahagathbandhan government-led by chief minister Nitish Kumar.