Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW/ BHOPAL: The controversy over the inter-caste marriage of the daughter of BJP’s Bareilly MLA Rajesh Mishra alias Pappu Bhartaul has taken yet another turn.

Now, a Bhopal-based family has come out with the claim that their daughter had been engaged to Sakshi Mishra’s ‘husband’Ajitesh way back in July 2016.

Expressing shock over Ajitesh’s 'marriage' to Sakshi Mishra, the family claimed that the Dalit youth was supposed to marry their daughter in Bhopal on December 9, 2016.

“My family, particularly the youngest of five daughters, is in deep shock after we came to know about Ajitesh-Sakshi’s marriage through the media reports. My youngest daughter was engaged to Ajitesh on July 10 at an impressive ceremony in a hotel at Bhopal. Over 50 of Ajitesh’s relatives, including his parents, had come down to Bhopal to attend the engagement ceremony and related functions a day later on which we spent around Rs 7 lakh,” retired Madhya Pradesh government employee Hemant Nayak claimed.

Daughter of BJP MLA from Bareilly



She fears for her life because her father opposes her love marriage with a lower caste man



Full support to her pic.twitter.com/SsVdmN3fQb — Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) July 11, 2019

“The marriage had to be solemnised on December 9, 2016, but in October, 2016, Ajitesh’s mother passed away. In November 2016, Harish (Ajitesh’s father) told us that his son was not in a position to marry my daughter. We continued to contact them thereafter but the marriage didn’t happen, despite all preparations at our end, “ added Nayak.

He added that he had continued to remain hopeful of Ajitesh’s marriage with his daughter.

“Now, coming to know about Ajitesh-Sakshi’s marriage two days back, we’re shocked and my youngest daughter has slipped into a deep depression,” said Nayak.

Nayak, a 62-year-old retired government servant, has five daughters and a son.

READ HERE | Priest denies solemnising Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA daughter's marriage to Dalit boy

While congratulating the couple, Nayak wondered how would he get the Rs 7 lakh back he had spent on the engagement.

“Since both Sakshi and Ajitesh are majors, I wish them a blissful future. However, I don’t know who would compensate me for the Rs 7 lakh spent on my daughter’s engagement with Ajitesh. I had to borrow money from some people whom I have yet to repay. Ajitesh’s family needs to compensate us for the financial loss and mental trauma,” said Nayak.

Meanwhile, Sakshi's father, BJP MLA Rajesh Mishra, on Saturday has asked the media and others to not hound him or his wife anymore. He even threatened to commit suicide.

In a debate on a TV channel, Mishra reportedly said, “My wife is upset with the news going on in television and newspapers, she has fallen ill and is not taking her medicines."

He said he was aware that Ajitesh was already engaged to someone.

The MLA’s daughter Sakshi Mishra, 23, had notably uploaded a set of two videos on social media on Wednesday announcing her marriage to Ajitesh, 29, last week. The duo has sought police protection from the Allahabad High Court.

Sakshi had also alleged a threat to her life from her father, brother and an associate and urged the Bareilly senior superintendent of police to provide them with security. She also warned that if anything happened to her or her husband, her father should be held responsible for it.