Lalu family lied to me', says Tej Pratap's wife Aishwarya after his expulsion from RJD

Days after RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav from the party and disowned him over “irresponsible behaviour”, Tej Pratap’s estranged wife Aishwarya Rai has spoken out, alleging humiliation and deception at the hands of the Yadav family.

In an exclusive interview with India TV, Aishwarya Rai, who is the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai, said, “The Lalu family never considered me human. They made a joke out of my life. They hid the truth from me and lied to me repeatedly.”

“Now, just because elections are around the corner, they’re pretending to take action. This is all drama,” she added, reacting to Lalu’s public announcement that Tej Pratap was no longer part of the party or the family.

Still their daughter-in-law’

Aishwarya, who married Tej Pratap in 2018 and left his residence within months alleging domestic abuse and humiliation by her husband and in-laws, said she remains legally wedded and continues to be the Yadav family's daughter-in-law.

“I want to ask Lalu ji — what justice will he do with me? Both Rabri Devi and Tej Pratap are complicit. They destroyed my dignity and now want to walk away clean,” she said, referring to the silence of the family during her public ordeal.

Tej Pratap’s expulsion and background

Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from the RJD and disowned by Lalu Yadav on Sunday, after a controversial social media post where he claimed to have been in a relationship for 12 years with another woman — while still being legally married to Aishwarya and awaiting a court verdict on his divorce petition.

He later deleted the post and claimed his account had been hacked. Lalu, without directly referencing the post, said in a statement that his elder son's conduct had “weakened the party’s moral foundation” and violated the values the family stood for.

“You are an adult and free to make your choices. But we cannot tolerate such behaviour,” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, backing his father’s decision.

Tej Pratap, a two-time MLA, has long been in the news for controversial acts — from threatening security personnel to launching a parallel political outfit and clashing with the party leadership. His political career has largely remained in the shadow of his younger brother Tejashwi, now the face of the party.

A pattern of silence and political shielding?

Aishwarya Rai’s comments have reignited criticism of the RJD over its handling of the domestic abuse allegations she had levelled in the past. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar accused Lalu of salvaging his family’s image at the last minute, saying, “He acted now to save his reputation, but remained silent when Aishwarya — a granddaughter of a former CM — was insulted and forced out.”

BJP leader Nikhil Anand also said that while the RJD has acted against Tej Pratap, it still “cannot be absolved of the ill-treatment meted out to Aishwarya”.