Tejashwi Yadav Dodges Queries On Sister Misa's 'PM Modi Will Be in Jail' Remark

Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday evaded queries on a controversial remark of his eldest sister Misa Bharti, who has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be "in jail" if the BJP was ousted from power at the Centre. 

The former Bihar deputy chief minister said "issues" should get more attention from the media and rued that "protests" against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state did not get coverage.

"What is the need for me to speak on what somebody has said about someone else? We should talk about issues," quipped Yadav, son and heir apparent of RJD president Lalu Prasad, when his response was sought on Bharti's comments.

A Rajya Sabha MP, Bharti is trying her luck from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat, which her father has lost once and where she has tasted defeat twice.

Her statement before a posse of media persons has evoked outrage from the BJP, with senior leaders like Ravi Shankar Prasad warning her against going overboard, reminding her of her family's legal wrangles.

When journalists insisted that Yadav address the query since Bharti has been flayed for her remarks "by even BJP national president JP Nadda", the normally media-savvy young leader snapped.

"You people paid no attention to the protests faced by Amit Shah," said Yadav, apparently referring to a video that has gone viral on social media.

The purported video is from Gaya district, shot at the time Shah was going towards the venue of his rally from the helipad where his chopper had landed.

Slogans in praise of Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav, followed by denunciation of Shah can be heard in the video, to which objection was raised by security personnel.

However, the protesters, who were a few hundred metres away from Shah and on the other side of a barricade, insisted that they were exercising their democratic rights.

The security personnel chose not to press the matter further, perhaps realising that there was too much of a distance between the protesters and the VVIP for any kind of trouble to arise.