Harvard denies Lalu's daughter's claims of being a speaker at conference

New Delhi: Misa Bharti, daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Yadav, was today caught in a controversy over her alleged Facebook post purportedly showing as an invited speaker at prestigious Harvard University's India Conference this week.

Misa had allegedly posted pictures on her Facebook page on March 7 which shows her on the stage addressing the audience.

Misa, for her part, denied in a fresh FB post that she had ever claimed to be a speaker at the conference.

Harvard issued a clarification after the 40-year-old allegedly released photos to newspapers in Bihar along with a press release saying she delivered a lecture at the American university.

The university released a statement saying "Misa Bharti was invited as part of the audience and not as a speaker of any panel at the India Conference at Harvard.

Her attendee status can also be confirmed from the fact that she had to purchase a ticket as an audience. She was not invited to deliver any lecture."

However, in a fresh FB post today, Misa said "in my absence, a controversy has been created that I have falsely claimed to be a speaker at this conf. Nowhere have I made such claims.

"I had posted some pics solo and with other guests on fb to share with friends and supporters. This included my pic on the forum which is a popular common venue to take signature pics by people at Harvard....Perhaps this was picked by some enthusiastic supporters/reporters of vernacular press to report that I was a speaker.

As it came to my notice I was conscientious enough to immediately remove pics to avoid misinterpretation and misguided allegations that I was seeking any false publicity... "this pic was there only for a few hours and yet this matter was sought to be exaggerated and overplayed by certain elements", she said.