Perform ‘thumka’ or face suspension, Tej Pratap tells policeman during Holi celebration
In another purported video, Tej Pratap is seen riding a motorcycle past the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and shouting “Paltu chacha”, a taunt directed at Nitish’s frequent switchover of alliances.
Written by Santosh Singh
Patna | Updated: March 15, 2025 09:53 PM IST
3 min read
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Defending their leader, the RJD, however, said that the political rivals were “reading too much” into “the innocuous request to the cop”. (Screenshot: X/PTI_News)
In an incident that the BJP berated as “reminiscent of the Lalu days”, the former chief minister’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav stirred a controversy during Holi celebrations after he was heard in a purported video asking a police constable in uniform to do a “thumka” on a song or “face suspension”.
The incident came to light after a video of the Holi celebrations of the former minister and RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav at his Patna residence on Saturday went viral. In the purported video, the Hasanpur MLA is seen seated on a sofa with his friends.
He is heard telling one of his bodyguards constable Deepak Kumar: “Ae sipahi, ae Deepak, abhi ek gana bajaenge jis par tumko thumka lagana padega. Nahin lagaoge toh tumko suspend kar denge. Bura na mano Holi hai (Hello policeman Deepak… we are going to play a song on which you have to do a pelvic thrust. If you do not oblige, you will be suspended. Don’t mind it’s Holi”).
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The constable did not do the pelvic thrust but could be seen shaking his legs. (Screenshot: X/PTI_News)
Tej Pratap is heard singing a devotional Holi song accompanied by a musical band. The constable did not do the pelvic thrust but could be seen shaking his legs.
In another purported video, Tej Pratap is seen riding a motorcycle past the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and shouting “Paltu chacha”, a taunt directed at Nitish’s frequent switchover of alliances.
Soon after these videos went viral, BJP described it as “typical of RJD culture”. Defending their leader, the RJD, however, said that the political rivals were “reading too much” into “the innocuous request to the cop”.
Bihar BJP’s vice president Santosh Pathak called Tej Pratap’s action as “something reminiscent of Lalu Prasad’s days”. “We are not at all surprised at Tej Pratap Yadav’s action. Such things would happen frequently during Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi days. When CM Nitish Kumar would refer to Bihar before 2005, he means such RJD culture, still symbolised by the likes of Tej Pratap. How can one ask a man in uniform to dance?” he said.
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An RJD leader said, “One is reading too much into Tej Pratap’s innocuous request to cop. He could have avoided doing so but it should be taken in the spirit of Holi.”
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
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