‘Aishwarya first and, now Rohini Acharya’: Here’s how political leaders reacted to Lalu Yadav’s daughter’s exit

Following Rohini Acharya’s disowning of the Yadav family and quitting politics after levelling serious allegations of abuse, many political leaders have shared their opinions on the family feud.

Take a look at the political reactions:

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari on Sunday said that the apparent rift within the family reflects the “mentality” of a regime that, according to him, allowed “jungle raj” to flourish in Bihar for years.

While taking a swipe at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership, Tiwari said that those who aspired to run the entire state of Bihar were now unable to manage their own families.

“Rohini Acharya said that being thrown out of the house for asking questions, being beaten up, somewhere reflects the mentality for which the entire regime was known for jungle raj,” Tiwari told ANI.

The controversy erupted after Rohini Acharya alleged on Saturday that she had been “thrown out” of the family by Tejashwi Yadav and his close aide, RJD MP Sanjay Yadav. She said she had “no family left” after the confrontation.

JD(U) Spokesperson, Sanjay Jha, said that there is a “Mahabharat” going on within the family.

“Rohini is the dearest daughter of Lalu Yadav… The daughter who gave her kidney to his father is saying that, there is a ‘Mahabharata’ going on in that family,” he stated.

RJD spokesperson on Acharya’s exit

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari on Sunday said that RJD leader Rohini Acharya’s decision to quit politics and disown her family is a family matter.

Tiwari added that the party’s top leadership will review the situation and respond later.

Speaking to ANI in Patna, Mrityunjay Tiwari said, “This is a family matter. Members of the family will speak on this. The party’s top leadership will see this matter. The election results have come out just now. But why did such results come, and what were the reasons, is something that will be reviewed. Only after that can we give a response. Everyone knows that Rohini ji set an example; everyone would want a daughter and sister like her…”

Here’s how JDU leader reacted

Janata Dal (United) leader Neeraj Kumar on Sunday questioned the silence of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi. Speaking to ANI, Neeraj Kumar said Rohini Acharya, who had donated a kidney to her father, had been “treated unfairly”.

“Rohini Acharya is a daughter who saved her father’s life, a daughter is Lakshmi. Insulting her has never been part of our tradition. Why are Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi silent on this?” he asked.

Referring to past family disputes, the JDU leader said, “This is the second incident. It happened to Aishwarya first, and now to Rohini. These tears will cost Lalu Yadav very dearly. He should not become the ‘Dhritrashtra’ of politics and must expose the one who is at fault. This is their internal matter, but it is certainly a matter of concern.”

Tej Pratap and Aishwarya Rai married in 2018 but separated within months. Reacting to his revelation of a 12-year relationship with Anushka Yadav and Lalu Prasad’s action, Aishwarya said the decision to sever ties with him was timed with the upcoming elections in Bihar.

Here’s what Rohini said

In an emotional post on X, Rohini claimed that she was “humiliated,” “abused,” and even faced the threat of being hit with a slipper. Rohini, a devoted daughter, sister, wife, and mother, stood up for her rights and dignity. Her family and community expected her to compromise, but she refused to betray her values. The backlash was brutal – verbal abuse, physical threats, and ultimately, expulsion from her parental home.

“Yesterday, a daughter, a sister, a married woman, a mother was humiliated, abuses were hurled, shoes were raised to kill her… I didn’t compromise on my self-respect, didn’t give up on truth… just because of this, I had to face insults. Yesterday, a daughter left her crying parents and siblings due to helplessness… she was forced to leave her parental home… she was made orphan… I pray that none of you ever have to walk my path, and no house should have a daughter-sister like Rohini.,” she wrote.

She had also spoken bitterly of “Sanjay and Rameez”, claiming to be master strategists like “Chanakya” who paid no heed to feedback from grassroots-level workers.

While much is not known about Rameez except that he hails from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, where his father-in-law Rizwan Zaheer has been a former MP, Acharya shared a social media post describing him as “a gangster with a criminal bent of mind, a murder accused who works for Sanjay Yadav”, PTI reported,

Notably, Zaheer, who is with the Samajwadi Party, is also currently lodged in a UP jail in connection with a murder case.

RJD’s poor performance in Bihar assembly elections

The RJD performed poorly in the Bihar assembly polls, securing just 25 seats despite contesting on more than 140 seats in the 243-member state assembly.

Earlier on Saturday, Rohini Acharya announced her intention to “quit” politics and “disown” her family, taking all “blame” for the party’s poor performance in the polls.

With her “disowning” family, the cracks within Lalu Yadav’s family have widened as her brother Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from both the party and family earlier this year following a controversy over his personal life.

The development has sent shockwaves through Bihar politics, with many speculating about the future of the Lalu family’s political dynasty. Rohini’s allegations have also raised questions about the internal dynamics of the RJD and the role of family members in the party.

(With inputs from agencies)