Tej Pratap Yadav said PM Modi will have a hard time making tea (File)
Tej Pratap Yadav, known to play a supporting role to his articulate and politically savvy younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, was seen as scoring a hit today with his sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 29-year-old, who is holding a "Tea with Tej" - a campaign on the lines of the Prime Minister's Chai Pe Charcha -- had a ready retort when the similarity was pointed out to him.
Flashing the rustic wit of father Lalu Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav said, "How can PM Modi be fortunate enough to get tea for 'Chai Pe Charcha'? We will not give him milk... He will have a hard time making tea".
The reference was to traditional references to Yadavs as cattle rearers - a mention that has been coming down from the epic Mahabharata. The tea-making was an allusion to the Prime Minister's humble beginnings - PM Modi has often referred to the tea-selling days of his childhood as in public speeches while recounting his struggles before rising to the top post.
Tej Pratap Yadav, a minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet, is regularly overshadowed by the younger Tejashwi Yadav, the chosen political heir of his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. While Tejashwi Yadav is busy leading the party in after their father was jailed in a corruption case and carving out his niche in the opposition, Tej Pratap Yadav has been known for the controversies around him.
Last year, he waded into a controversy, talking tough when invited to the wedding of BJP leader Sushil Modi's son Utkarsh Modi. "If I attend, I will enter his house and beat him up. If I go to his son's marriage, I will expose him," Tej Pratap Yadav had said. Later, After Sushil Modi changed the venue citing security concerns, Tej Pratap Yadav said his comments should not have been "taken literally".
The Yadav junior has also made frequent forays into silver screen. Last month, he tweeted a teaser poster of his upcoming movie "Rudra - The Avtar". In a film in 2016, he starred as the chief minister and was even depicted as "Lord Krishna" by his fan club.