Patna: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav has levelled fresh allegations against his former personal assistant, Motilal Rai, claiming that Rai is attempting to pressure officials of streaming platform JioHotstar to stop the promotional campaign for Bhojpuri Bawal.
Yadav made the allegations in a post on his official X account. The claims have not been independently verified.
According to Yadav, Rai, who has already been expelled from the JJD, has allegedly been contacting members of the JioHotstar team and its officials and attempting to pressure or threaten them into stopping the promotion of the programme.
Yadav also alleged that Jai Singh Rathore, a former state president of the JJD, has been contacting JioHotstar officials at Rai’s behest and attempting to pressure them to halt the broadcast.
Yadav links allegations to ‘Bhojpuri Bawal’
In his post, Yadav claimed that the alleged attempts to interfere with the programme were linked to his growing popularity and public support.
He further levelled several other allegations against Rai, including involvement in anti-party activities, alleged links with political opponents, financial irregularities and working against him during the Mahua Assembly election.
Yadav also referred to an FIR concerning the alleged theft of around Rs 20 lakh from Rai’s residence. The details and status of the case were not independently verified from the information available.
Yadav called for the administration to investigate any alleged threats, pressure or attempts at undue interference with the broadcast and take action in accordance with the law if wrongdoing is established.
Public urged to remain cautious
The JJD chief also urged people to remain cautious about phone calls, demands for money or suspicious communications allegedly made in the name of Rai or his associates.
He advised people to verify such communications before entering into any financial transaction and appealed to the public to remain alert against potential fraud.
Earlier allegations against former PA
Yadav has previously accused Rai of stealing from his residence and subsequently going absconding. Rai’s side of those allegations was not included in the statement provided.
More recently, when asked about Rai’s appearance in the controversy surrounding Bhojpuri Bawal, Yadav said Rai had been involved in the matter initially but that the police were now searching for him.
The latest allegations come as Bhojpuri Bawal prepares for its promotional campaign on JioHotstar. Any action by the platform in response to the alleged pressure, and the outcome of any police investigation, remains to be established.
