Tej Pratap bombards Prez with postcards seeking Lalu's release

Maverick RJD leader Tej PratapYadav launched a unique campaign on Friday for the release ofhis ailing septuagenarian father Lalu Prasad from custody, ashe, along with hundreds of supporters, sent postcards toPresident Ramnath Kovind to press for the demand.

Yadav, the elder son of former chief ministers Prasadand Rabri Devi, on Thursday marched to the General Post Officehere with his supporters who carried bundles of postcardsaddressed to the President seeking release of the jailed partysupremo.

''We are here with lakhs of 'azadi patras' (petitionsseeking freedom) in the interests of a socialist movement thatis being undertaken in Bihar. We hope the President will heedthe voice of the people,'' said Yadav, who is known to be adoting son to the RJD boss.

Prasad, who is serving sentences in a number of fodderscam cases in Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, is at present inDelhi undergoing treatment for multiple ailments.

In his late 70s, the leader, who had also served asthe railway minister in the UPA-1 government, is a diabeticand suffers from a heart condition and kidney problems.

He has been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Courtin some of the cases but he needs to secure the same in a fewothers in order to be freed from custody.

When asked about the campaign, RJD state spokesmanChitaranjan Gagan said, ''It is, of course, a personalinitiative of Tej Pratap Yadav but the party does back itsince the matter involves our undisputed leader.'' The move, however, met with strong disapproval fromBJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, the former deputychief minister of Bihar who has been the foremost bte noireof the proverbial ''first family'' of the RJD.

In a couple of tweets, he pointed out that Prasad wasconvicted after a ''prolonged legal battle'' and ''legal wizardslike Ram Jethmalani could neither save him from punishment norhelp him get bail''.

In an indirect reference to Tej Pratap Yadav havingbeen overshadowed by his younger brother Tejashwi, Modi added''the sidelined prince of RJD is now trying to create mistrustin the judiciary by the gimmickry of sending two lakhpostcards to the President''.

Modi also referred to the RJD's dismal performance inthe Lok Sabha polls of 2019, when it drew a blank, andPrasad's attempts to topple the NDA government after therecent assembly elections, in which the party won the maximumnumber of seats but the coalition helmed by it fell short ofgetting majority.

An official of the postal department said postcardsfound to be in order will be dispatched.

''This episode is amusing and puzzling. But the postaldepartment will have to do its job. Postcards found to be inorder will be dispatched. Others will go back to the senders,''said a department official requesting anonymity.