Amid the Tej Pratap Yadav drama in Bihar, spotlight on Aishwarya Rai. Who is the estranged wife?

The row involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son, Tej Pratap Yadav, continues.

It all started with a social media post, which has since been taken down, showing his ‘partner’, Anushka Yadav. Tej Pratap claimed they have been in a relationship for 12 years.

Soon after, Tej Pratap was removed from the party for six years by his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who described his actions as “irresponsible behaviour”.

ALSO READ | Who is Anushka Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav’s ‘partner’?

In the middle of all this, Tej Pratap’s estranged wife, Aishwarya Rai, criticised the Yadav family, calling the entire episode “drama” and just for show ahead of the elections in Bihar.

She questioned, “Why was my life ruined? Why was I beaten?”

So, who is Aishwarya Rai, and what happened during her marriage to Tej Pratap? How did she respond to the controversy over Tej Pratap’s social media post and his removal from the party? What details have come out so far? Here’s a look at the situation in full.

Who is Aishwarya Rai?

She is the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai and the daughter of Chandrika Rai, a six-time MLA and former minister.

Her grandfather, a Congress leader, served as Bihar’s Chief Minister for a brief period in 1970.

Aishwarya graduated from Delhi University and holds an MBA degree. In 2018, she married Tej Pratap Yadav in a grand ceremony held in Patna.

However, the marriage did not last long. Within a few months, Aishwarya moved out of Tej Pratap’s house, accusing him and his family of mistreatment.

The fallout between the two families quickly became public. Aishwarya was seen crying as she left the Yadav home. Speaking to the media later, she said she was mistreated during the marriage.

She later made serious accusations against members of the Yadav family, including former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Tej Pratap’s sister and MP Misa Bharti, and Tej Pratap himself.

According to an NDTV report, she filed a police complaint alleging harassment and assault. Rabri Devi also lodged a counter complaint, accusing Aishwarya of attacking and troubling her.

Tej Pratap also spoke out, saying the two were not suited for each other. “I’m North Pole and she’s South Pole. There have been fights between me and my wife in front of my parents. I don’t want to live with her anymore. There’s no point in being unhappy and stressed,” he said.

The political relationship between the two families also broke down. The 2018 wedding had brought both families even closer. Aishwarya’s father, Chandrika Rai, had begun his political career with the Congress but later joined the RJD and grew close to Lalu Prasad Yadav.

After Aishwarya’s separation and the accusations that followed, Chandrika Rai quit the RJD and joined Nitish Kumar’s JDU.

A divorce case is currently pending in court.

‘Why was I beaten?’: What Aishwarya Rai said on Tej Pratap controversy

Aishwarya has strongly criticised the Yadav family amid the controversy surrounding Tej Pratap Yadav’s alleged long-term relationship with a young woman.

Reacting to Tej Pratap’s expulsion from the RJD and the family for six years by his father Lalu Prasad Yadav, she said it was just a show meant to mislead people.

“Everyone knows what happened. If they (Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family) knew the whole thing, then why did they get him married to me? Why was my life ruined? Why was I beaten? Now they have suddenly had a social awakening. I got information about my divorce from the media. All the information I got was through the media… I did not know what was going on,” she was quoted as saying by ANI.

She also pointed fingers at Rabri Devi, claiming that she may have been behind the entire act of expelling Tej Pratap while choosing to remain silent because of the approaching Bihar elections. Aishwarya questioned why no one in the family spoke up earlier when she was allegedly being abused.

“Rabri Devi must have gone yesterday and told them to stay quiet for now… since it’s election time, that’s why they’re putting on this drama,” she said.

Aishwarya accused Lalu Prasad Yadav of staging a political drama by pretending to take action against his son. She also raised questions over the family’s talk of “social justice” and said she would continue her legal fight.

“Now that it is out, he has had an affair for 12 years and blaming the woman is the easiest way out. When will I get justice? I will continue my fight,” she added.

The row over Tej Pratap’s ‘relationship’

The former Bihar minister caused a controversy after he posted on social media that he had been in a long-standing relationship with a woman named Anushka Yadav.

Along with a photo of the two, he wrote, “The one seen in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We have been known to each other for the last 12 years. We are in love and have been in a relationship for 12 years.”

Shortly afterwards, Tej Pratap said that his Facebook account had been “hacked”. He claimed it was an attempt to “defame and harass” both him and his family.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav reacted by expelling his elder son from the party for six years, calling his actions “irresponsible behaviour”. He also said he was cutting off family ties with him.

In a statement, he said, “Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in accordance with our family values and traditions.”

With inputs from agencies