Patna: A prime-time television debate in Bihar has spiralled into a major controversy after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rohini Acharya, daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav, launched a scathing personal attack on Patna-based journalist Kanhaiya Bhallari. In a widely circulated clip, Acharya said, “The mother of someone like Kanhaiya Bhallari must be ashamed for giving birth to a son like him.”
The remark came in response to Bhallari’s earlier on-air comment about Acharya: “She should stay in her husband’s home (sasural) instead of coiling up in her father’s house (maayka).” Acharya first silenced him during a phone call in which, according to the leaked audio that went viral, Bhallari could only manage repeated “ji… ji…” (yes… yes…). Later, on the same show, she escalated the attack by bringing his mother into the row.
Roots of the Controversy
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, several BJP spokespersons openly accused Kanhaiya Bhallari of working as a “paid journalist” for the RJD. They claimed that Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Yadav allegedly facilitated his appearances on national channels, and that throughout the Bihar campaign, Bhallari effectively acted as an RJD mouthpiece. He repeatedly referred to Lalu Prasad as his “friend” on air.
However, once Rohini Acharya announced her candidature from Saran, Bhallari’s tone changed dramatically. He used terms like “naagin” (female serpent) and questioned the “publicity stunt” around her kidney donation to her father. Acharya hit back sharply: “People like you wouldn’t donate even a bottle of blood to anyone.”
21st-Century Feudal Dictate?
Bhallari’s comment that a married woman should remain in her in-laws’ house and not “sit coiled” in her parental home drew widespread outrage. Women’s rights activists and social media users branded it outright feudal and patriarchal. One prominent tweet read: “Self-proclaimed progressives are now issuing fatwas on where a woman should live.”
Silence from Bhallari, Mixed Reactions in RJD Camp
Kanhaiya Bhallari has remained silent since the episode. Sources close to him say he wishes to “maintain dignity” and will not respond even after his mother was targeted. Within the RJD, opinions are divided: some see Bhallari as a “turncoat who bit the hand that fed him,” while others feel Acharya crossed the line by making it deeply personal.
Debate Over Decency vs Freedom of Expression
While thousands of women have rallied behind Rohini Acharya for defending female dignity, several journalists’ bodies have condemned the dragging of a mother into a public spat. The Bihar Working Journalists’ Union issued a statement: “Personal life and family should never be weaponised in debates, no matter who is at fault.”
The row shows no signs of dying down. Hashtags such as #WhoseShame and #DontDragMothers are trending across platforms. Once again, Bihar’s political discourse has proved that television debates have degenerated from policy discussions into arenas of personal vilification and abuse.