Tej alleges threat to life by ex-partyman, seeks enhanced security

Patna: Former railway minister Lalu Prasad’s elder son and Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) president Tej Pratap Yadav has lodged a police complaint against the party’s expelled national spokesperson, Santosh Renu Yadav, accusing him of issuing death threats.

Tej Pratap, a former state health minister who lost the Mahua assembly seat in the 2025 elections, has also sought enhanced security from deputy CM (home) Samrat Choudhary. Samrat confirmed that he had received Tej’s letter and said the request was under consideration.

SHO of the Secretariat police station said an FIR has been registered on the basis of Tej’s complaint and an investigation is underway. According to Tej, Renu, who was initially appointed as the JJD’s national spokesperson, began acting against the party’s ideology and allegedly collected money from party workers by promising jobs and favours. He said Renu was expelled from the party on Dec 14 following these allegations.

Tej claimed that since his expulsion, Renu has been abusing and threatening him on social media platforms. Attempts to contact Renu for his version were unsuccessful.

The dispute escalated after Tej removed Renu from his position over alleged misconduct related to police recruitment and indiscipline within the party, following which Renu resigned from the JJD. The two have since engaged in a public spat on social media, prompting Tej to send a legal notice to Renu demanding action.

Renu, in turn, accused Tej of practising caste-based politics and disrespecting party workers. He alleged that Tej Pratap was “immersed in the arrogance of power and money”.

Earlier, Tej himself was expelled from the RJD for six years by Lalu after admitting to a relationship with a woman named Anushka, a claim he later denied, saying his social media account had been “hacked”. Lalu had publicly disowned him, citing “irresponsible behaviour”.

Following his expulsion from the RJD, Tej alleged there was a “conspiracy” to drive a wedge between him and his brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. He aired his grievances on social media, blaming unnamed “Jaichands”, a term commonly used to describe traitors.

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