Karnal (Haryana) [India]: Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has commented on the recent expulsion of Tej Pratap Yadav from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), suggesting that the move was influenced by “politically insignificant sentiment” rather than the spirit of sportsmanship that should guide political conduct.
Khattar emphasized that political decisions made with a spirit of fair play benefit the entire nation.
“There is sportsmanship, and the other is insignificant political sentiment. They are doing everything with the politically insignificant sentiment. We have said that if politics is played in the spirit of sports, then such incidents will not happen… If they keep playing with sportsmanship, they too will move forward. Society, country, and state, too, will all move forward,” he said on Sunday.
His remarks follow the announcement by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav that his son, Tej Pratap Yadav, has been expelled from the party for six years due to what he described as serious violations of moral and social norms.
Lalu Prasad Yadav made the announcement via a post on social media platform X, where he cited concerns over his son’s behaviour.
“The activities, public behaviour, and irresponsible conduct of my eldest son are not in line with our family’s values and cultural ethos. Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in accordance with our family values and traditions,” Lalu stated.
In a separate comment, Khattar also addressed recent controversy surrounding remarks made by an Ashoka University professor about Operation Sindoor. He advised restraint in public commentary and emphasized that societal reactions will reflect the appropriateness of such statements.
“They should avoid such actions and should not do it, and anyone else who has done it, then by any reaction, they automatically get a message if their comment was wrong; if so, such comments are wrong. As far as the subject of legal action is concerned, the law will do its job. So society sees all these things. Society will also share its views and tell them about it,” he said.
The professor in question, Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Ashoka University in Haryana, later clarified that his remarks on Operation Sindoor had been misinterpreted.