Patna: A day after filing for divorce, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday said he was a simpleton who was forced to marry the “urbane” Aishwarya Rai and he could not “live with her anymore”.
Tej Pratap filed for divorce from Aishwarya, daughter of senior RJD leader Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of former chief minister Daroga Rai, at the Patna High Court on Friday. They got married in May this year.
Speaking to reporters in the pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya, where he made a brief stopover on his way to Ranchi to meet his ailing and incarcerated father Lalu Prasad, Tej said, "I had told my parents that I did not wish to marry at this moment of 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."
A distressed Yadav also met his incarcerated father Lalu Prasad on Saturday and reaffirmed that he stood by his decision to part ways with his wife barely six months after their marriage. Emerging from the meeting, Yadav told reporters, "I stand by my decision."
He, however, did not reveal what he talked about with his father, saying, "We will discuss with our family members about it. But I remain firm on my decision of filing the divorce petition."
To questions of journalists, he said, "I will tell whatever I have to say in the court when the matter will come up for hearing on (November) 29 and I don't feel like sharing it with you."
Asked about his decision at a time when his father is in poor health, Tej said, "I have been living a stifled (ghut ghut ke) life. How long can one go on like this?" He also said he has not been on talking terms with his wife for the past couple of months.
He added that he was not willing to withdraw his petition, which is expected to come up for hearing on November 29.
His lawyer Yashwant Kumar Sharma on Friday said the former Bihar minister had sought divorce on compatibility issues. He said the separation has been sought invoking Section 13 A of the Hindu Marriage Act under which either spouse can unilaterally seek divorce.
The two families are reportedly making attempts to save the marriage. As soon as Tej Pratap filed for divorce, Aishwarya and her parents met his mother Rabri Devi to try and arrive at an amicable solution.
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