Lalu expels RJD leader for Rahul barb

Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad has expelled the party’s national spokesperson, Shankar Charan Tripathi, two days after The Telegraph reported that he had slammed Rahul for hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later winking in the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion.

Taking cognisance of the report published on July 21, Lalu swung into action and the RJD’s national secretary general S.M. Qamar Alam on Monday issued a letter addressed to Tripathi. “Many senior leaders of the party had levelled allegations against you of being involved in anti-party activities after which an explanation was sought from you but you have not given any explanation till today,¨ the letter said. “Now, on the instructions of the party chief and according to the RJD constitution clause 33 and rules 22, you have been relieved from all posts with immediate effect. Your membership of the party is also cancelled and you are also expelled from the RJD.”

Recently, BSP chief Mayawati, too, had expelled party leader Jaiprakash Singh for issuing statements against Rahul, claiming he cannot be the prime minister as his mother was not of Indian origin. She even removed Rajya Sabha MP Veer Singh as the party’s national coordinator and national general secretary. The BSP said Veer Singh was removed for not informing Mayawati about Jai Prakash’s remarks even though he was present on the dais; she got to know from media reports.

Tripathi had called Rahul’s act in Parliament childish and unexpected from a person who considers himself a prime ministerial candidate for 2019. Tripathi had praised Rahul’s speech but claimed his last act of hugging the Prime Minister and winking had undone all good. He had even compared his act of winking to Priya Prakash Varrier, whose wink in a clip of the movie Oru Adaar Love propped her to stardom. Tripathi described Rahul hugging the Prime Minister an impolite behaviour.

Action against Tripathi, considered close to Lalu, proves that as far as stitching alliances against the NDA is concerned, the alliance partners are not ready to accept things like criticism of Rahul Gandhi.

“It is an outcome of the cordial relationship Rahul Gandhi shares with Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who are in direct touch with each other,” a senior RJD leader said on the condition of anonymity. “Tejashwi would not like to listen anything that goes against Rahul and vice versa. Probably that was the reason Ashok Choudhary left the Congress, as Rahul was more inclined towards Tejashwi.”

Tripathi had not only spoken against Rahul but also against Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, going as far as comparing Tejashwi with demon king Ravan.

But Tripathi claimed action was taken against him for speaking the truth and he will keep on raising his voice where he feels a wrong has taken place. He also claimed that the party did not serve him any notice to explain his stand. “It was Lalu ji who offered me the post, I never asked for it,” Tripathi told The Telegraph. “The RJD does not belong to one person, Laluji. It is ideology which runs the party. I have never spoken anything against the party and the decision against me is nothing but dictatorship.”

Courtesy: The Telegraph