LUCKNOW: Intercaste marriages are still a social taboo in the country and in yet another such case, the BJP MLA of Bareilly has landed up in troubled waters after his daughter released a set two videos on social media in which she is seen expressing threat to her and her husband’s life from her father. The MLA’s daughter had tied nuptial knot with a Dalit youth in a temple early this month.
However, reacting to the videos, MLA Rajesh Mishra alias Pappu Bhartaul, representing Bithari Chainpur Assembly seat of Bareilly district, claimed on Thursday that he had no objection to the marriage but had other concerns. In a statement issued here, he said his daughter was an adult and "has the right" to take her own decision.
The video messages addressed to Bareilly police chief Muniraj G, Sakshi, 23, daughter of MLA Mishra is seen urging the police to provide protection to her and her husband Ajitesh Kumar alias Abhi, 29, as she was feeling the threat to her life from her father.
The girl released two videos shot inside a moving car at an unknown destination on Wednesday. In the first video, Sakshi and Ajitesh can be seen saying: “I am Sakshi and this is my husband Abhi. We are tired of running from one place to another. Now, I want to request the SSP to provide us security as some of my father’s men and friends were behind us probably to kill us.”
In the same video, Ajitesh Kumar says: "We were staying in a hotel where we were trailed by some people, who wanted to kill us. But we managed to escape from there. The only reason they want to kill us is because I am a Dalit and who doesn’t know the money and muscle power of Vidhayakji (MLA)."
In the other video released after a gap of few hours, Sakshi can been seen giving message to his family. “Papa – Pappu Bhartaulji — and my brother Vicky, I request you to live with peace and let us live with peace. I am not wearing ‘sindoor’ just out of fashion but I have actually married Abhi. And Papa, stop
your man Rajiv Rana, who is chasing us. Make him understand not to test my tolerance otherwise he would be in jail for sure. Due to your people, our life has turned into hell.”
Sakshi has also asked her MLA father Bhartual to stop intimidating Kumar’s family. “It’s I and Abhi who decided to live together and nobody is responsible for the step we have taken. You enjoy your politics and let me enjoy my life peacefully.” She also said that in future if anything wrong happened to them or Kumar’s family, it would be her father Pappu Bhartaul, brother Vicky Bhartaul and Rajiv Rana responsible for that.
Bareilly SSP Muniraj G accepted of being in the knowhow of the video. He said he was yet to get a formal complaint from the couple seeking police protection. However, DIG RK Pandey said he had come to know of the video messages and had directed the SSP to extend security to the couple. The DIG, however, said the police didn’t know where to give her security as she had not disclosed her location. No FIR has been lodged in the case so far.
Ajitesh’s father is a bank manager and said to be having a close association with the MLA for years. Ajitesh runs his own business.
On the other, the MLA chose to react to the videos on Thursday and said that he was not against the marriage as “my daughter is an adult and she has the right to chart her own course of her life.” The MLA, however, claimed that he had other concerns.
“My only concern is that the age gap between my daughter and her husband. The boy is over nine years older than my daughter. As a father I am also concerned about their future because the boy doesn’t earn much,” said the MLA.
“I can never even imagine to harm my daughter. I want them (the couple) to return home. I have also informed the party high command about the matter,” said Mishra.
Meanwhile, later on Thursday, the aggrieved couple moved Allahabad High Court seeking security cover contending a threat to their lives from the BJP MLA, who, the couple claimed was unhappy with the marriage of petitioners, as the girl was a Brahmin and her husband Ajitesh Kumar a Dalit.
The court fixed July 15 as next date of hearing in a petition. Both the petitioners – Sakshi Mishra and her husband Ajitesh Kumar -- were not present in the court while the petition was being heard by Justice YK Srivastava.
The petitioners requested the court to direct the authorities concerned to take steps so that they were harassed neither by MLA Rajesh Mishra or by the cops at his instance. They also urged the court to issues directives ensuring them a peaceful living both of them were major and had entered into matrimonial relationship with their free will.