The AIADMK MLA, A Prabhu, has released a video with his new bride
The marriage of a 36-year-old Dalit MLA to a 19-year-old student has triggered a row in Tamil Nadu after the bride's father - a temple priest - accused the MLA, a member of the ruling AIADMK, of entering into a relationship with his daughter while she was still a minor and entrapping her.
The father also said he would kill himself unless the authorities intervened, but was stopped from carrying out his threat by the police, who have registered a case of attempted suicide.
The father, Swaminathan, also said he opposed the marriage "not because of caste, (but) because of age difference between bride and groom". He also said he feels "betrayed" and "threatened".
The MLA - A Prabhu from the state's Kallakurichi Assembly segment, which is a reserved constituency - has now released a video with his new bride, explaining that they were in love and had been so for four months.
Mr Prabhu said his family, who are also members of the AIADMK, had approached the young woman's family seeking permission for the couple to wed but were rebuffed.
The couple went through with the wedding anyway, which was held at his home on Monday and was attended by several of his family members, including his parents.
Mr Prabhu told NDTV he is hopeful that the relationship with his new in-laws will soon improve.
"Till I was 30 I was busy with politics. After I was elected my family chose a bride for me but Amma (former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) died and I was heartbroken and did not marry. But during lockdown I had close interaction with her (his wife) and we fell in love," he explained.
"I have known my wife's father for many years and we had close ties. He has even fed me with his own hands and prayed for my success. I feel there are some political forces that have poisoned his mind against me,'' he added.
When asked about the impact of an inter-caste marriage on his political career, the MLA said, "Politics is public life and marriage is my personal life. I don't think I mix the two."
Meanwhile, the woman's father has also claimed that in the days before the wedding his daughter went "missing", adding allegations of abduction to the mix. In his video, however, Mr Prabhu denied any claims that he had abducted the young woman.