 "'All's well', claims Rabri Devi about 'rift' between Tej Pratap & Tejashwi")
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her two sons -- Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav -- on Monday said there was no "rift" in the party or the family and "sweetness" prevailed everywhere, as all of them assembled here to show bonhomie while celebrating 71st birthday of Lalu Prasad.
Tej Pratap, the elder son of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad, created a flutter a few days back with a tweet that was seen by many as signalling a rift with his younger brother Tejashwi, though both the brothers have since clarified that they had no differences and both of them were together.
With the controversy hogging media limelight, the family came together at 5, Deshratna Marg bungalow of Tejashwi Yadav to celebrate Lalu Prasad's birthday.
"Party aur parivar me koi toot nahi hai... Hamari party me bikhrav nahi hai...Party me kuch khatpat nahi hai (There is neither any dissension nor any rift in the party and the family. There is no fissure or discord in our party)," Rabri Devi told reporters at the birthday venue.
Prasad was sent to a jail in Ranchi after being convicted in three cases of multi-crore fodder on December 23 last, though he is now on conditional bail on medical grounds. In his absence, the party is largely being managed by his wife Rabri Devi and the two sons. Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti is a Rajya Sabha member and mostly stays in Delhi.
The reports about differences between the two brothers began after Tej Pratap went public on Twitter complaining that some people in the party were not listening to him and sought action against elements wanting to create rift between him and his younger brother.
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Later, Tej Pratap, who has already dismissed reports of any such rift, once again reiterated his stand, saying, "There is no rift among us... Where is bitterness (karwahat) and which kind of bitterness is it? There is sweetness everywhere (yahan to mithas hi mithas hai)."
Referring to his tweet in which he had expressed his desire to "get Arjuna seated on the throne of Hastinapur and himself return to Dwarka (like Lord Krishna)", Tej Pratap said it (going to Dwarka) was just a "saying" meant to strengthen the party and organisation in other states.
On Sunday also, Tej Pratap, the former Bihar health minister, had dismissed reports of any rift with Tejashwi saying that he wanted his brother to grow and become the prime minister and his blessings will always be with him.
Tejashwi, the leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly, echoed the sentiments expressed by his mother and the elder brother and said "all is well" within the party.
Tejashwi -- who had on Sunday urged people not to make a mountain out of a molehill -- parried more questions saying how many times they (RJD leaders) will have to clarify on the issue that everything is fine.
He alleged that BJP leaders and some other parties, which are spreading rumours of rift, are trying to create a divide in his party in order to reap political dividends and "let them be happy" if they derive any mental satisfaction from such acts.