Rohini Acharya, the second of the nine children of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is also credited with saving the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief’s life by donating her kidney to him, has become the face of the latest drama in her family, which is being played out in public.
A day after she announced that she had disowned her family and hours after she made stunning allegations of mistreatment against her brother Tejashwi Yadav, she was seen leaving her elder sister Misa Bharti’s house in Delhi.
With tears in her eyes and a hoarse voice, she responded to reporters’ questions about her charges: “Rohini always tells the truth”. She also clarified that she hasn’t disowned her family, asserting that it’s only her brother that she has cut ties with.
As she was prodded further to explain the family drama, she said, “Ask these questions to Tejashwi Yadav and those behind the fallout, ask Sanjay Yadav, Rachel Yadav (Tejashwi Yadav’s wife) and Rameez.
She has accused Tejashwi Yadav and his close aides, Sanjay Yadav and Rameez, of “throwing her out of the family”
Rohini Acharya also said that her parents and her sisters are standing by her.
My father has always been by my side. My parents and my sisters were crying for me yesterday. I am blessed to have parents like them,” Acharya told reporters.
Targeting Tejashwi Yadav, who, she suggested, “humiliated” her and even raised a slipper at her, the 47-year-old said, “I have only cut ties with my brother. My sisters and my parents support me. I am in constant touch with my father”.
“Why is it that only daughters are expected to make sacrifices, especially when there are brothers? When daughters ask questions, they are asked to go to their in-laws’ house,” she said.
Sources indicated that Tejashwi Yadav had an ugly fight with his sister after he blamed her for the RJD’s defeat in the Bihar assembly elections.
On Friday, the ruling NDA decimated the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan to retain power by securing a thumping “200 paar” win with 202 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly. The RJD’s seat tally dropped to 24 from 75 in the last assembly elections.