In a dramatic escalation of the internal feud within the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), party chief Lalu Prasad's daughter, Rohini Acharya, launched a fresh, veiled attack on her brother and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The Singapore-based Acharya took to social media on Saturday, blaming unnamed "own" people for the destruction of the family's hard-earned political legacy, signaling that the rift that erupted publicly last November remains far from resolved.
Cryptic Social Media Barbs Point to Deepening Rift
Rohini Acharya expressed profound shock in her post, stating that "our own" were attempting to erase the contributions of the family's founders. Without directly naming Tejashwi or his close aides, she wrote, "There is no need for outsiders to destroy the great legacy that was created and established with great effort… our loved ones are enough for that. 'Newly made own' and 'our own' are more than enough."
She followed this with another enigmatic remark, suggesting that arrogance leads to destructive forces controlling a person's judgment. "When arrogance takes over, destructive forces become the eyes, nose and ears… such forces control a person's thinking and judgement. It happens when the veil falls over wisdom," she stated. This attack gains personal and political significance given that Rohini had earlier donated a kidney to save her father Lalu Prasad's life, an act often cited to underscore her commitment to the family.
A Feud Rooted in Electoral Defeat and Public Fallout
The current outburst is a continuation of a bitter conflict that spilled into the open in November last year, following the RJD's disastrous performance in the Bihar assembly elections. The poll setback triggered acrimonious exchanges between the siblings, leading Rohini to revolt and leave the parental home in Patna. In a dramatic announcement on November 15, she declared she was quitting politics and "disowning" her family, placing the blame on individuals she named as Sanjay Yadav and Rameez.
The timing of her latest salvo is also critical, coming just a day after a Delhi court ordered the framing of charges against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, and other family members in a case. The family is already under sustained political attack from NDA leaders, making the internal discord a major cause for concern for the party.
Political Reactions and Symbolic Posturing
Reacting to the development, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar termed Rohini's remarks as "very serious." He acknowledged her concerns, highlighting the contrast between her sacrifice and Tejashwi's associations. "Rohini saved her father's life by donating her kidney... but Tejashwi was found in the company of a history-sheeter. Shouldn't she be worried? Her post explains only that," Kumar said.
Earlier in the week, Rohini had posted photographs of herself holding a gun, widely interpreted as a message aimed at her rivals. Accompanying the image was a caption in Hindi that translated to, "The ability to discern right from wrong is accurate, as is the aim." This symbolic posturing further fueled speculation about the intensity of the internal conflict.
The persistent public airing of grievances by Rohini Acharya underscores a deep and unresolved tension within the first family of Bihar's opposition. It points to a struggle over the control and direction of the RJD's legacy, threatening to undermine the party's unity at a time when it faces formidable external legal and political challenges.
