Ex-RJD Leader Sparks Row With 'Jersey Cow' Remarks On Tejashwi Yadav’s Wife, Party Hits Back

His derogatory remarks about Tejashwi's wife, Rajshree, were condemned by RJD leaders like Kaushal Yadav, who highlighted Rajballabh's past conviction and defended Rajshree's privacy.

Recently released RJD leader Rajballabh Yadav sparked outrage by questioning Tejashwi Yadav's marriage outside his caste and state.

Source : PTI

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rajballabh Yadav, recently released from prison, has ignited controversy with derogatory remarks aimed at Tejashwi Yadav and his wife. Speaking at a public meeting in Nardiganj, Nawada district, he questioned why Tejashwi chose to marry outside Bihar and the Yadav community.

“Caste is used only for votes. But when it came to marriage, where did it take place? What was the need to get the marriage done in Haryana and Punjab? Was he getting a woman or a jersey cow? Was there no girl in the Yadav community?” Rajballabh said, in a veiled reference to Tejashwi’s wife.

Tejashwi married Rachel Codinho, his schoolmate from Delhi’s DPS RK Puram, in 2021. Originally from Rewari, Haryana, she later adopted the name Rajshree Yadav. The couple have two children — a daughter born in March 2023 and a son born in May this year.

RJD’s sharp response

The remarks triggered swift backlash from the RJD. Former Nawada MLA Kaushal Yadav condemned the comments, calling them offensive not only to Rajshree Yadav but to the broader backward and Dalit communities.

“Lalu Prasad Yadav is one of the tallest leaders of the country and a voice for backward and Dalit communities. Such derogatory statements against his daughter-in-law hurt the entire society. People are heartbroken,” Kaushal Yadav said at a press conference.

He also reminded the public of Rajballabh Yadav’s past. “Ten years ago, he was jailed under the POCSO Act for raping a young girl. Now, after coming out of jail, is abusing Lalu Yadav’s daughter-in-law his reward? Is looking at women with wrong intentions his only identity?” Kaushal Yadav asked.

He further defended Rajshree Yadav, pointing out that she keeps a low public profile while quietly raising her two children. “Making such remarks about her reflects low thinking and poor mental health. It is a matter of pride to belong to the Yadav community, but unfortunate that someone from the same community uses such abusive language,” he said.

The episode comes amid a charged political atmosphere in Bihar, just days after another row in which Congress workers were accused of making abusive comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a rally in the poll-bound state.