Patna: In what came as a shock to many, including those in the opposing camp, it was learnt that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi's eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav has filed for divorce from his wife of less than six months due to 'irreconcilable' differences.
Tej Pratap Yadav, who had a brief stint as the Health Minister of Bihar under the Mahagathbandhan government before fading into political oblivion under the shadow of his younger brother and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, filed for a divorce from Aishwarya Rai, the 25-year old granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai and daughter of former RJD minister Chandrika Rai, at a civil court in Patna under Section 13(1) (1A) of the Hindu Marriage Act that deals with cruelty by a husband or a wife against the other.
Sources said it was Tej Pratap Yadav who has accused his wife of mentally torturing him since they got married on May 12 this year in the presence of over 10,000 guests from the political as well as Bollywood world. In giant billboards, the newly-wed couples, during their wedding, were portrayed as Lord Shankar and Parvati that stirred up criticism and mockery against them on social media.
Reportedly, it was Tej Pratap's mother and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi who had hand-picked her daughter-in-law. The wedding took place after Tej Pratap's father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was sent to Ranchi jail in connection with cases related to fodder scam. Yadav was given a conditional bail to attend his son's wedding in Patna but he was successful in extending the duration of his bail by several weeks on health grounds.
It is worth noting that while Aishwarya got her education in management in Delhi, Tej Pratap Yadav was not able to finish Intermediate from B N College.
Last time the two were seen together was in May during a trip to Mumbai when the couple had gone to see Lalu Prasad Yadav at the Asian Heart Hospital where he was being treated for heart ailments.
Since the wedding, there had been numerous reports about Tej Pratap Yadav not happy with his status within the party that has seen his younger brother taking over the control of the RJD while the president languishes in jail. Even his sister and MP Misa Bharti had admitted Tej Pratap was not pleased with his position within the party and felt he was ignored over the growing popularity of Tejaswi Yadav.
The court has set November 29 as the next date of hearing.
