‘Selfish woman’: Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Prateek Yadav says he will divorce wife Aparna

Prateek Yadav, the son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and brother of Akhilesh Yadav, on Monday announced that he is seeking a divorce from his wife, BJP leader Aparna Yadav, accusing her of damaging family relationships and ignoring his mental health.

Prateek Yadav made the announcement through a public Instagram post, using strong language to describe the breakdown of the marriage. The post has drawn wide attention due to the political stature of the Yadav family and Aparna Yadav’s position within the BJP.

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“I am going to divorce this selfish woman as soon as possible. She ruined my family ties. All she wants to become is famous and influential,” he wrote.

What Prateek Yadav alleged in his Instagram post

In the same post, Prateek Yadav said he was going through severe emotional distress and claimed that his condition was met with indifference.

“Right now, i am very bad mental health condition and she doesn’t bother. Because it’s only herself she bothers about. I have never seen such a bad soul, and i was unfortunate to get married to herm (sic),” he added.

Neither Prateek Yadav nor Aparna Yadav has issued any statement beyond the Instagram post at the time of writing.

 

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A post shared by Prateek Yadav (@iamprateekyadav)

Who is Aparna Yadav

Aparna Yadav is a Uttar Pradesh–based politician and social worker who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2022, a move that drew national attention given her marriage into the Samajwadi Party’s founding family.

She is the daughter of Arvind Singh Bisht, a journalist who currently serves as the Uttar Pradesh State Information Commissioner, and Ambi Bisht, an official with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. Aparna Yadav studied at the University of Manchester and holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Politics. She has also received formal training in classical music from the Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow.

Aparna stepped into active politics in 2017, contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from the Lucknow Cantonment seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket. A few years later, she made a high-profile switch to the BJP and has since backed several of the party’s major policy decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370 and the National Register of Citizens. She also donated ₹11 lakh towards the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

On September 11, 2024, Aparna Yadav took charge as Vice-Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission.

Outside politics, she runs an NGO called B Aware, which focuses on animal welfare, and has worked on initiatives related to women’s rights and empowerment.

Who is Prateek Yadav

Prateek Yadav, unlike several members of the Yadav family, has stayed away from active politics. He has never contested elections or held a formal political role.

Prateek Yadav works in real estate and has built businesses linked to property and fitness in and around Lucknow. He studied management in the UK and holds an MBA from Leeds University.

Away from business, he has often spoken about animal welfare and has supported efforts aimed at the care and protection of animals.

Prateek and Aparna Yadav were married in 2011. The couple has two children.