Tej Pratap avoids crossing paths with Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi in Bihar Vidhan Sabha

Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD president Lalu Prasad, on Friday avoided crossing paths with his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav and mother Rabri Devi when he made his first appearance at the Bihar assembly on the final day of the ongoing winter session. An MLA from Mahua in Vaishali district, Tej Pratap had filed a divorce application in the Patna court on November 3 within six months of his marriage with Aishwarya Rai. He had filed for divorce under Section 13 (1) (1a) of the Hindu Marriage Act. Incompatibility was cited as the reason for seeking divorce.

Since then, he has kept away from his family as well politics. On Friday, he appeared at the Vidhan Sabha wearing a white dhoti and kurta and an off-white waistcoat besides sporting a red tilak on his forehead.

Signalling disquiet in the family over the divorce issue, Tej Pratap didn’t speak to Tejashwi, who is the leader of the Opposition, and Rabri Devi, who occupies the same position in the legislative council.

Tej Pratap also declined to answer queries about his ongoing marital strife but was quick to defend his party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RJD) frequent stalling of proceedings in the House, which on Friday too was adjourned till 2 pm within minutes of commencement.

On Thursday, the hearing on the divorce petition of Tej Pratap was on Thursday deferred till January 8 by a court in Patna which held in-camera proceedings following a plea by the leader.

He told reporters that although he had reached Patna on Wednesday itself, he has so far neither visited his home nor met any of his family members.

Aishwarya, eldest daughter of former minister Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of another former CM Daroga Prasad Rai, and Tej Pratap had tied nuptial knot on May 12 this year in Patna.

(With PTI inputs)