Tej Pratap had married Aishwarya Roy on May 12.
Highlights
- Tej Pratap has accused his family of siding with his wife, Aishwarya Roy
- Tej Pratap had approached a Patna court to file for separation
- He had alleged he was forced to marry Ms Roy against his wishes
Tej Pratap, the eldest son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav, has accused his family of siding with his wife at a time when he has filed a divorce petition in court. "Everybody from my father to my mother and my siblings have left my side to stand in solidarity with my wife. Even so, I will not go back on my decision," he told mediapersons today.
Tej Pratap had approached a Patna court to file for separation from Aishwarya Roy, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai, on Friday. The development attracted considerable media attention despite repeated requests by his brother -- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav -- that the family be allowed some privacy. Tej Pratap, however, has been candid in his interactions with reporters.
"I'm the North Pole and she's the South Pole. My wife and I have fought in front of my parents, and I don't want to live with her anymore. There's no point living unhappily like this," he said on Saturday.
The former minister even alleged that he was forced to marry Ms Roy against his wishes. "I told my parents that I did not wish to marry at that 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.
Incidentally, Tej Pratap's mother Rabri Devi had said last year that she wants "sanskari bahus" (traditional daughter-in-laws) instead of mall-going women for her two sons. The remark took Twitter by storm, with social media users accusing the Yadav family of propagating retrograde ideals.
While family members hoped that the matter would be sorted out after Tej Pratap's meeting with Lalu Yadav at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, things did not pan out as expected. "I will stick to my decision. I will wait for my father to come home and discuss it with my family, but I will stick to my decision," he told mediapersons waiting outside.
The shake-up in Tej Pratap's domestic life seems to be taking a toll on Lalu Yadav's health. Hospital sources said his blood pressure and sugar levels have been fluctuating ever since his son approached the court.
Tej Pratap Yadav had married Ms Roy in a high-profile ceremony attended by over 10,000 guests at the sprawling veterinary college grounds on May 12. Many dignitaries, including Bihar Governor Satya Pal Mallik, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, were also invited. Lalu Yadav, jailed in connection with the fodder scam, was granted three-day parole to give away his son's hand.