Patna, Feb. 13: Lalu Prasad's son Tejaswi Yadav today hit out at RJD MP Pappu Yadav for deviating from the party's line on chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Tejaswi, the RJD boss' 25-year-old son, has written to Madhepura MP Pappu 'requesting' him to stick to the party line and not become a puppet in the BJP's hands.

Recently, Pappu claimed Lalu should stand by Manjhi like a rock or lose a major chunk of the Dalit and Mahadalit votes (amounting to 16 per cent). He also said Lalu was surrounded by sycophants.

Tejaswi said: 'In the past few days, our MP Pappu Yadav has been commenting in the media against the party line. If the RJD did not give him a ticket, he would not have become an MP. So, I will request him not to become a character in the game plotted by the BJP.'

On the sycophant allegation, Tejaswi said: 'If Laluji was surrounded by sycophants, then you (read Pappu Yadav) would have not got tickets twice from the RJD.'

Lalu has always avoided commenting on Pappu, a five-term MP - thrice from Purnea and twice from Madhepura. This is the first time someone from the family has openly criticised Pappu like this. A party insider even said the words used in Tejaswi's letter were actually Lalu's. 'Lalu cannot attack him directly so he is using his son Tejaswi to send Pappu a message to stick to the party line. Laluji has become more furious ever since Pappu has been speaking against Manjhi's removal. At a time when the JDU and RJD have launched an attack on Manjhi, what's the need for Pappu to speak in support of the chief minister,' a senior RJD leader said.

Pappu is, however, undeterred. He strongly defended Manjhi. To Tejaswi, he replied: 'He is my younger brother and I do want to comment on what he thinks of me. As far as my party and leader are concerned I must say that a leader makes the party. The RJD exists because of Lalu, the JDU exists because of Nitish. If there wasn't any leader, there won't be any party as well.'