Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav claims compatibility concerns compelled him to file for divorce with Aishwarya Roy, his wife of six months. "I can't live with her anymore," he said today.
The elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, he had married Ms Roy in a lavish wedding attended by top politicians and several high-profile guests on May 12. "But they couldn't get along," said Tej Pratap's lawyer.
Ms Roy, a history graduate from Delhi University, is the daughter of six-time RJD lawmaker Chandrika Roy. She and her parents have already met Tej Pratap's mother Rabri Devi.
"It is true. I have filed for divorce. I'm North Pole and she's South Pole. There have been fights between me and my wife in front of my parents. I don't want to live with her anymore. Ghut ghut ke jeene se toh koi fayeda nahi hai (there's no point in being unhappy and stressed)," Tej Pratap said.
"I had told my parents that I did not wish to marry at this point in time, but nobody listened to me. Ours was a mismatch. I am a simple man with simple habits while she is a modern woman, educated in Delhi and used to life in a metropolis," he added.
Tej Pratap had attempted to file a divorce petition on an earlier occasion too, but it was turned down due to technical reasons.
Many expected Tej Pratap to change his mind about the divorce after meeting Lalu Yadav, who is being treated at a prison hospital in Ranchi, but that did not happen. "I'm sure about my decision, and will state all the facts in court. But my father has said that he will sort out all the problems once he is out," he said after the interaction today. The petition is expected to come up for hearing on November 29.
Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap's brother and acting head of the RJD, shrugged off questions on the issue. "Please, this is a family matter... everybody from the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister will be in the dock if you start asking about such things," he remarked, before sarcastically asking one of the journalists how his marital life was faring.
Tej Pratap was the health minister of Bihar before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped Lalu Yadav's RJD to revive his alliance with the BJP last July. He may not have Tejashwi Yadav's political acumen, but he manages to dominate the news through other means. When he is not attacking the Prime Minister and the central government on Twitter, Tej Pratap keeps himself occupied with movie projects and temple visits in god costumes.
Tej Pratap acted in a Bhojpuri film while he was still a minister two years ago, and is currently working on a Hindi film, "Rudra: The Avatar".
(With inputs from PTI)
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