Who is Aishwarya Rai, Tej Pratap Yadav’s ex-wife who accused Rabri Devi of assault and alleged father-in-law Lalu Prasad ‘ruined her life’?

The crisis within the Lalu Prasad Yadav family intensified on Sunday, a day after Rohini Acharya publicly accused her family of ill-treatment and announced that she had cut ties with them.

Following his statement, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s three other daughters, Rajlakshmi, Ragini and Chanda, along with their children, left the family’s home in Patna and went to Delhi. Their exit signals a deepening rift in one of Bihar’s most influential political families.

The turmoil comes at a difficult time for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which suffered a major setback in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, falling from 75 seats to around 25.

This is not the first major family dispute for the Lalu Prasad family. Earlier, Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from RJD for six years by his father Lalu Prasad Yadav, who accused him of irresponsible behavior.

Amidst the drama, the name of Tej Pratap Yadav’s ex-wife Aishwarya Rai has emerged once again. Earlier this year, Lalu Prasad had accused Yadav’s family of “mistreating and beating” him during his stay at Yadav’s house.

His statements once again raised questions about his past with the family.

Who is Aishwarya Rai?

Aishwarya Rai is the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai and daughter of six-time MLA and former minister of state Chandrika Rai. He completed his graduation from Delhi University and holds an MBA.

She married Tej Pratap Yadav in a high-profile ceremony in Patna in May 2018. However, the marriage soon fell apart and Tej Pratap filed for divorce within six months.

Aishwarya’s 2019 Claims

Aishwarya accused her mother-in-law Rabri Devi of physically assaulting her in 2019, when she was still living at Yadav’s house. She claimed that Rabri Devi beat her, pulled her hair, her mobile phone was taken away from her and she was forcibly removed from the house.

The incident became public when Aishwarya was seen crying outside Yadav’s residence. His parents, Chandrika Rai and Purnima Rai, along with his siblings, rushed to the spot when they heard what happened.

Aishwarya later told the media that she went downstairs to talk to Rabri Devi after receiving a message that posters containing obscene remarks about her and her family were put up near Patna University. He said he did not want his family’s name to be involved in this matter.

However, according to Aishwarya, her attempt to speak angered Rabri Devi and led to an attack by Rabri Devi and a female security guard. He claimed he was pushed outside without shoes or warm clothing and that his phone was taken because it contained videos of the family’s behavior.

Aishwarya’s parents later claimed that this was not the first time she was forcibly removed from the house and that she had been thrown out during heavy rain before. They accused the Yadav family of treating their daughter ‘inhumanly’.

The Feud That Refuses to Fade

Aishwarya’s statements, which have resurfaced at a time when Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family is deeply divided and Tej Pratap has been deported, has added a new layer to the ongoing dispute.

Lalu Yadav’s comments, coupled with the public outcry among his children, have brought the family feud back to the fore, turning a private dispute into a widening political debate.