Rajballabh Yadav, a former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA, made a controversial remark about Tejashwi Yadav’s wife. Yadav, recently released from jail, criticized RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, making a contentious comment about his marriage and wife. This comment has heightened political tensions in Bihar.
During a public meeting on Sunday, Rajballabh Yadav said that Tejashwi Yadav talks about caste to get votes but married outside of the community. He stated that it would have been better if he had married a girl from the Yadav community. He questioned the need to bring a wife from Haryana-Punjab, comparing her to a Jersey cow. This statement has caused outrage within the RJD, with the party protesting against his remarks.
Rajballabh Yadav’s statements, made after his release from jail, have escalated the political situation in Bihar. He was released last month after serving nine and a half years, following his acquittal by the Patna High Court in a case of alleged rape of a minor.
In his political career, Rajballabh Yadav first contested as an independent in 1995 and won. In the 2000 assembly elections, he received an RJD ticket and was successful, subsequently becoming a Minister of State for Labour in the government. However, he faced defeat in the next three assembly elections.
In 2015, Rajballabh Prasad won again through the JDU-RJD-Congress alliance. In February 2016, an FIR was filed against him in a minor rape case, and on December 21, 2018, he was convicted.
Following the conviction, his membership in the Bihar Legislative Assembly was terminated. In the 2019 by-election, Kaushal Yadav of JDU won, while in the 2020 assembly elections, Rajballabh Prasad’s wife, Vibha Devi, contested as an RJD candidate and won.
After being convicted in the POCSO court in 2018, Rajballabh lost his membership from the Nawada assembly seat. On February 14, 2016, the RJD suspended him from the party. After being convicted, he was barred from contesting elections.
The Patna High Court acquitted Rajballabh Yadav on August 14 in a case of alleged rape of a minor. Earlier, a lower court had sentenced him to life imprisonment. Rajballabh Yadav was accused of raping a minor at his residence in Nawada on February 6, 2016.
Tejashwi Yadav is married to his school friend, Rachel Godinho, who is from Chandigarh. Tejashwi Yadav and Rachel married in 2021. After marriage, she changed her name to Rajshree Yadav. Rajballabh Yadav’s comments about Tejashwi Yadav’s wife have caused outrage within the RJD, and they are responding to his statement.