Patna (Bihar), March 16: The Bihar Police have removed Constable Deepak Kumar from his position as the bodyguard of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Tej Pratap Yadav following the circulation of a video where the constable was seen dancing at the MLA’s instruction. The video, which went viral on social media, raised concerns about the decorum of police personnel.
In a press release dated March 16, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patna stated, “When the matter of bodyguard (constable) Deepak Kumar dancing in a public place in uniform at the behest of Tej Pratap Yadav, MLA, Bihar Legislative Assembly, went viral, bodyguard constable Deepak Kumar was sent to the police station, and another constable was deputed in his place.”
In addition to the bodyguard incident, Tej Pratap Yadav faced further scrutiny from traffic authorities. He was fined Rs 4,000 by the traffic police for not wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler, and his vehicle was found to have failed the insurance and pollution test.
The controversy began after a video emerged showing Yadav instructing a policeman to “dance or be suspended” during a Holi celebration at his official residence in Patna on March 14. In the video, Yadav can be heard saying, “Nahi thumka lagaoge to suspend kar diye jaoge” (If you don’t dance, you will be suspended). This led to widespread condemnation from BJP leaders and the public.
BJP leaders, including MP Dinesh Sharma, criticized Yadav’s actions as disrespectful to the police. “He (Tej Pratap) will never get the right to suspend anyone. And he belongs to a family that insults the police and the uniform… Inka gharana natak nautanki ke liye theek hai (their family is only fit for drama), they would be considered unfit to run the government),” Sharma said.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also weighed in, accusing Tej Pratap of disrespecting law enforcement. “Like father, like son. Father was the chief minister, the family was in power, and Bihar was kept in jungle raj. He made the law dance to his tunes. Now, he is out of power, but his DNA is the same: he wants to bring back Jungle Raj,” Poonawalla stated.
Retired senior police officers also condemned Tej Pratap’s behavior, calling it an “insult” to the police force. Ajay Kumar Singh, a former Delhi Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), strongly criticized the remarks, stating, “The uniform has dignity, and we have a code of conduct. It is clearly mentioned in the police manual that police personnel must not act against the code of conduct. Tej Pratap is behaving like an imposter; saying such things to your own security is an insult to the police.”
Singh added that the officer involved in the incident was not at fault, as he was merely following orders. He emphasized that no action should be taken against the officer, as punishing him would be “unfair and unacceptable.”
The incident has sparked significant debate, with many calling for accountability and respect for law enforcement officers across the state.