'Thumka lagao' or get suspended: Tej Pratap's order to cop on Holi sparks row

While celebrating Holi with party supporters, RJD leader Tej Pratap Singh Yadav ordered a police officer to dance in the middle of party workers or face suspension.

In Short

• RJD leader Tej Pratap participates in Holi event on March 14
• Orders cop to dance in middle of party workers, he complies
• JDU, BJP and ally Congress slam Tej Pratap

RJD leader Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, while celebrating Holi with party supporters on Friday, ordered a police official in uniform to dance to a song, warning that he would be “suspended” if he refused.

"Ay sipahi, ek gaana bajayenge uspe tumko thumka lagana hai (I will play a song, and you have to shake a leg), Tej Pratap said, pointing to the cop, adding if he doesn't dance, he could be suspended. "Bura na mano holi hai (don't feel bad, it's Holi)," the former Bihar minister further said.

The cop complied, briefly dancing in the middle of party workers.

Tej Pratap, son of RJD supremo Lalu Yadav, also participated in ‘kurta faad,’ where people’s clothes are torn after applying colour on them. A video from the event shows his supporters forcefully tearing a man's pants and pushing him to the ground, despite his protests.

The incident drew a sharp reaction from the JDU, BJP as well as its ally Congress. The JDU national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad condemned it saying such an act has no place in Bihar, while the BJP said the incident shows the necessity of keeping them away from power.

"Jungleraaj has ended but Yuvraj of Lalu Yadav is threatening a policeman about the consequences if he (the policeman) will not comply with what he is instructing (to dance). Bihar has now changed. Be it Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav or any of the family members of Lalu Yadav - they need to understand that such acts have no place in the environment of this changing Bihar," Prasad told news agency ANI.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that it is a tradition of the RJD to take the law in their hands.

"Like father, like son. Earlier, his father manipulated laws at his whim and turned Bihar into a jungle raj. Now, even after losing power, the son resorts to threats and coercion to bend the law and intimidate those who uphold it," he said, adding that this is just a "trailer" and that it is essential to keep them away from power," Poonawalla said.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi also condemned it, calling it an unfortunate incident. "I condemn what he said. He is unaware that he does not have the power to suspend a person. It is unfortunate to say something like this to a policeman," he said.

During the celebrations, Tej Pratap also took a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying, “He is not fit to be called uncle. Everyone has seen his mentality”.

He further declared that the “real Holi” would be celebrated when the RJD comes to power. “Everyone should start preparing for the elections,” he added.