Who is Tej Pratap Yadav’s ex-wife Aishwarya Rai 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 mistreatment and announced she was cutting ties with them. 

Following her statement, three other daughters of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rajlakshmi, Ragini and Chanda also left the family’s Patna residence with their children and travelled to Delhi. Their exit signals a deepening divide in one of Bihar’s most influential political families.

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

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

Amid the unfolding drama, the name of Tej Pratap Yadav’s ex-wife, Aishwarya Rai, has resurfaced once again. Earlier this year, she had accused Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family of “mistreating and beating” her during her time in the Yadav household.

Her statements have once again raised questions about her past with the family.

Who is Aishwarya Rai?

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

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

Aishwarya’s 2019 Allegations

In 2019, while still living in the Yadav home, Aishwarya accused her mother-in-law, Rabri Devi, of physically assaulting her. She claimed that Rabri Devi beat her and pulled her hair, her mobile phone was taken from her, and she was forced out of the house

The incident became public when Aishwarya was seen crying outside the Yadav residence. Her parents, Chandrika Rai and Purnima Rai, along with her siblings, rushed to the spot after hearing what had happened.

Aishwarya later told the media that she had gone downstairs to speak to Rabri Devi after receiving a message that posters containing obscene remarks about her and her parents had been put up near Patna University. She said she did not want her family’s name dragged into the matter.

However, according to Aishwarya, her attempt to speak out made Rabri Devi furious, leading to an attack by Rabri Devi and a female security guard. She claimed she was pushed out without her footwear or warm clothing, and that her phone was taken because it contained videos of the family’s behaviour.

Aishwarya’s parents later said this was not the first time she had been forced out of the house, claiming she had earlier been thrown out during heavy rain. They accused the Yadav family of treating their daughter 'inhumanly'.

Feud That Refuses to Fade

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

Her comments, combined with the public fallout among Lalu Yadav’s children, have pushed the family feud back into the spotlight, turning a private conflict into a widening political controversy.