If you're not familiar with Tej Pratap Yadav, you've probably not had the full measure of Bihar politics. The elder son of Lalu Prasad has mostly drawn the spotlight for making controversial remarks or doing something peculiarly funny. But this time he's made the headlines for being expelled from the party by his father for "irresponsible behaviour" which doesn't fall in line with their "family values and traditions".

Taking to X, Lalu said, "I remove him from the party and the family. From now on, he will not have any role of any kind in the party and the family. He is expelled from the party for six years".

Reason for exclusion from party

The move came after a viral Facebook post claimed that Tej Pratap had been in a romantic relationship with a woman for 12 years. The former Bihar minister blamed hackers for the post. “My social media platform was hacked and my photographs were edited wrongfully,” he wrote on X. The post was widely circulated and picked up by several media outlets.

But, as you can already figure, this isn’t the first time Tej Pratap is in the middle of a controversy. In fact, bizarre public episodes have defined much of his political and personal life.

RJD MLA Tej Pratap Yadav celebrates Holi, in Patna, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (PTI)

When he asked a cop to 'thumka lagao'

Earlier this year, Tej Pratap was in the news for asking a cop to dance during Holi celebrations. In a viral video, he can be seen sitting on a makeshift stage with a microphone in hand, directing the police official to dance. “Deepak (cop's name), we are going to play a song, and you must perform a thumka. You will be suspended if you don’t. Don’t mind... it’s Holi,” he said.

Tej Pratap Yadav (Screengrab)

From Shiva to Krishna

Over the years, Tej Pratap has taken to dressing up as Hindu deities during religious occasions. In 2019's first Monday of Sawan, he dressed as Lord Shiva with ash smeared all over his body. That same year, he then became Lord Krishna for Janmashtami, where he was spotted by people playing the flute in the dead of the night. Tej Pratap wished people on Janmashtami after posting a picture as Lord Krishna.

Minister to menace

In 2019, his security guards allegedly roughed up a cameraperson at a polling booth. Tej Pratap claimed it was a plot to assassinate him. “The entire incident was a conspiracy to ‘murder him’,” he alleged, after the cameraperson reportedly broke the windscreen of his car during the scuffle.

Tej Pratap has held the health ministry portfolio in the past, but his eccentricities kept him in the news more consistently than any legislative work.

Marriage in ruins

His marriage made headlines just as quickly as it began. In May 2018, he married Aishwarya Rai, daughter of RJD veteran Chandrika Rai. By November, he had filed for divorce. “I was made a scapegoat for political benefits of several people in my family and party,” he said in Gaya the following day. Aishwarya Rai later accused him, along with Rabri Devi and Misa Bharti, of domestic violence.

Remarks about PM Modi

Tej Pratap has also made news for his outbursts. In 2017, upset with the downgrading of his father’s security, he said, “I will skin Modi alive.”

Tej Pratap Yadav (PTI)

Protest takes a tumble

Tej Pratap Yadav fell during a 'Cycle Yatra' in Patna in 2018, which was held to protest the rising fuel prices across the country. While riding his bicycle, Yadav picked up speed and lost control while attempting to take a turn at a roundabout, causing him to tumble to the ground.