Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, has triggered a flutter in political circle with a tweet signalling a rift between him and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav even as the latter urged people not to make a 'mountain out of a molehill'.
The metaphor is being seen as his desire to retire from politics following RJD heir apparent and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav's accession to power.
Hours later, Tej Pratap Yadav, the former health minister in the grand alliance government, appeared before the media, with sandalwood paste and vermilion smeared on his forehead.
"I will remain in politics.... This party has been set up by my father and he has toiled hard to make the RJD what it is today," he remarked.
"But there is a threat to the party from some insiders. They are anti-social elements who are destroying the party by furthering their own agenda invoking the name of my parents, Tejashwi, Misa (eldest sister and Rajya Sabha MP) and myself," said.
They are taking advantage of Lalu Prasad's inability to take a very active interest in party affairs, he said adding: "But I would not allow them to succeed."
"I feel slighted when I telephone a party functionary for some work only to be silenced by the remark that there were different orders from the top," he said without elaborating.
He did not name anybody but clarified that he harboured no ill-will against Tejashwi Yadav younger to him in age but bigger in political stature - whom he called 'mere kaleje ka tukda'.
With the issue hogging media limelight, Tejashwi Yadav dismissed any rift with elder brother.
Stating that Tej Pratap described him as his 'kaleja ka tukda', Tejashwi Yadav said he is his 'brother and guide'.
He also urged people not to make a "mountain out of a molehill" and asserted that Tej Pratap had also spoken about strengthening the party.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)