Who is Anushka Yadav? The mystery girl seen in 'expelled' RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav's Facebook post

NEW DELHI: A social media post featuring former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav alongside a young woman named Anushka Yadav has triggered a wave of curiosity and controversy.The now-deleted viral Facebook post claimed the two had been in a relationship for the past 12 years. While Tej Pratap later alleged that his account had been hacked and that the post was part of an attempt to defame him and his family, the name Anushka Yadav has since become the centre of widespread public speculation.Who is Anushka Yadav?Very little is known about Anushka Yadav in the public domain. She appears to maintain a low profile, with no confirmed links to any political family or public profession. Sources suggest that Anushka is not from a political background, which makes her alleged connection to the RJD leader all the more intriguing.Speculation about her identity intensified after the viral post described her as someone Tej Pratap had "been in love with for the past 12 years". The post further stated:"The one seen in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We have known each other for the last 12 years. We are in love and have been in a relationship for 12 years."This revelation — if genuine — would imply that their alleged relationship predates Tej Pratap's high-profile marriage to Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Rai in 2018.Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to deny the authenticity of the post."My social media platform was hacked and my photographs were edited wrongfully. This is an attempt to defame and harass me and my family," he said.Despite the denial, the post had already garnered wide attention.“I urge all my supporters to stay alert and not believe in any baseless rumours being spread on social media,” Yadav said.Following the controversy, RJD president Lalu Prasad expelled Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party and severed all family ties with him, citing “irresponsible” conduct and a disregard for moral values.While Lalu Prasad did not directly refer to the controversial post in his own statement, he strongly criticised Tej Pratap’s behaviour, saying:“Disregard for moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle to achieve social justice. His actions are not in consonance with the values of my family.”“He shall have no role, henceforth, in the party and the family. He is expelled from the party for six years, Lalu Prasad added”While the authenticity of the post remains in question, and with Tej Pratap calling it a hoax, Anushka Yadav remains a mystery figure. Whether the post was a result of hacking, mischief, or something more personal, the incident has once again brought Tej Pratap’s personal life under the spotlight.A few months ago, he made headlines for threatening a policeman in his security detail with suspension upon refusal to dance as per his command and speeding on a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet.Earlier, he had been in the news for an ugly marital dispute, besides antics like supporting rebels in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, floating a parallel outfit "Lalu Rabri Morcha" and occupying the chair reserved for the national president while at the RJD office.(With agency inputs)