Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son and Bihar health minister Tej Pratap Yadav has formed an organisation of youth with the avowed aim of countering the growth of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) first in Bihar and then across the country.

The organisation formed by the 29-year-old first-time MLA has been christened Dharmnirapeksh Sevak Sangh (DSS).

Although RJD sources said DSS was formed “a few months back”, posters and banners of the new organisation made their appearance at the official residence in Patna of former chief minister Rabri Devi, who is Tej Pratap’s mother, just a few days ago.

“The DSS will counter and defeat the RSS,” said Tej Pratap on Tuesday. “The formation of the DSS has been completed.

It will offer strong resistance to the RSS and its divisive ideology. The DSS has members from all religions and communities,” said the minister, whose younger brother, Tejaswi Yadav, is Bihar’s deputy chief minister.

“The RSS has formed outfits such as the Hindu Yuva Vahini. But the DSS will emerge as a strong counter to its divisive ideology because DSS believes in the unity of all communities,” added Tej Pratap, who has been in the news recently more for posting images of him in the attire of flute-playing Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva on social media.

Although considered a political lightweight in comparison with his younger brother Tejaswi Yadav, whose name has been floated as a potential replacement to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) in 2019, RJD leaders said the shy Tej Pratap has “recently tried his hand” at building an organisation on the

foundation of secularism.

“We are planning to organise a yatra of DSS on April 2. Our aim is to keep the nation united,” said Tej Pratap, who has studied up to class XII.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, when asked to comment on the formation of the DSS, sought to play down its potential impact in the face of the rich history and massive reach of RSS.

He advised Tej Pratap to first join RSS for a year and see its workings from the inside.

“I wish his organisation all success, but he must gain some experience first. I advise him to first join an RSS shakha for a year by wearing khaki shorts, holding lathi and chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’,” said Sushil Modi.