‘Marrying multiple times accepted in Hindu traditions’: RJD MP Sudhakar Singh

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sudhakar Singh on Monday said that marrying multiple times is ‘accepted’ in Hindu traditions, The Indian Express reported.

Sudhakar Singh made the comments after party chief Lalu Prasad disowned and expelled his son Tej Pratap from the party for six years last week over his alleged extramarital relationship.

The Buxar MP urged Lalu Prasad to accept his son’s decision pointing out that ‘Marriage is a personal matter, but I don’t consider it a crime’.

Tej Pratap’s official Facebook account last week carried a photo of him with a woman alongside the caption that said he had been in a relationship with her for over 12 years.

Tej Pratap however later said that his account had been hacked.

Responding to the bombshell revelation, Lalu expelled him from the party for six years, citing that his son’s ‘irresponsible behaviour’ does not get along with the family’s values.

Sudhakar Singh came out in support of Tej Pratap claiming that ‘We follow the footsteps of Ram Manohar Lohia who, in his book on Sapta Kranti, wrote that all relationships between a man and a woman are valid except for rape and deceit.’

Announcing that Tej Pratap married again, Sudhakar Singh added that he did not see it as an immoral act, ‘In Hindu traditions, having two or even three to four marriages has been accepted, and we have heard of such cases. Even today, many such marriages take place.’

He suggested examples of some leaders who married multiple times citing union minister Chirag Paswan, who was born to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s second wife, ‘Many people have had two or three marriages, everyone knows this. It’s neither a big deal nor is it a crime. As a father, Lalu Prasad should accept him.’

Lalu’s son Tej Pratap married Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai in 2018 but the couple filed for divorce within a year of the marriage and the case is pending in court.

Aishwarya called her estranged husband’s expulsion from the party as an ‘election drama’ ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls later this year.