Tej Pratap meets father, to go ahead with divorce

Ranchi/Patna: RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav met father Lalu Prasad at a hospital in Ranchi Saturday and affirmed that he stands by his decision to end his six-month-old marriage with Aishwarya Rai as he cannot live a “stifled life”.
Yadav, Prasad’s elder son, Friday filed a divorce petition at a court in Patna citing incompatibility with Rai, daughter of RJD leader Chandrika Rai, whom he married on May 12. Rai’s grandfather Daroga Rai was the chief minister of Bihar for a brief period in the early 70s.
On Saturday, Yadav met his father for over two hours at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi, where the RJD chief is lodged in custody in connection with fodder scam cases.
The former health minister had rushed to Patna airport on Friday after filing the divorce petition but had returned to the residence of his mother Rabri Devi after being persuaded by family members.
On Saturday morning, he left for Ranchi to meet Prasad by road. After meeting his father, Yadav told reporters, “I stand by my decision. A person can’t live a stifled life (ghut ghut kar).” He did not say what he discussed with Prasad, saying only that his father would come home and “I will wait for him”. “We will discuss with our family members about it. But I remain firm on my decision.” He said he will disclose “whatever I have to say” to the court when the hearing in the divorce case will begin on November 29. Asked about the effect of his decision on Bihar politics, Yadav only said it “will continue”.
Earlier Saturday, a team of doctors checked Prasad and told reporters that everything was normal. A diabetic, Prasad is suffering from various ailments and is in a private ward at RIMS.
Justifying his move for separation, Yadav, during a brief stopover at Bodh Gaya enroute to Ranchi, said he was a “simple man” who was forced to marry the “urbane” Rai against his wishes and had been living a “stifled life” since then. There is no word from either Rai or her family since Friday, when the divorce petition was made public.
In Bodh Gaya, Yadav said, “I had told my parents that I did not wish to marry at this moment. 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 said he has not been on talking terms with Rai for the past couple of months.
Asked whether his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav has spoken to him on the issue, he said they talk about politics, not about private matters. In his petition, Yadav has stated cruelty as the reason for seeking divorce. With the issue creating fresh trouble for the RJD’s first family, whose members are embroiled in cases of corruption, Tejashwi Yadav expressed strong displeasure over the media spotlight on family matters. (PTI)