Amid the nationwide caste debate, a Dalit MLA stirred a row after he married a Brahmin girl. A Prabhu of Tamil Nadu's ruling party AIADMK tied the knot with 19-year-old S. Soundarya. The incident led to uproar and commotion and the girl's father, S. Swaminathan, who is a priest, attempted suicide by immolating himself, however, the incident was averted by the police.
The ruling AIADMK MLA from Kallakuruchi constituency was in a relationship with Soundarya and despite resistance from the girl's family, they got married on Monday, Oct 5. Soundarya who is a college student Soundarya reportedly walked out of her parent's home and married Prabhu at his residence.
Bride's family opposed the wedding, accused Prabhu of kidnapping the girl
According to the girl's father, Prabhu trapped his daughter and had his eyes on her when she was a minor. The enraged father stated that Prabhu had abducted his daughter and forcibly married her. He threatened to immolate himself when he heard about the incident.
On the other side, Prabhu denied the rumours about kidnapping Soundarya and forcing her into marriage. He said that he had not threatened her parents. He said that he had approached the girl's family but they did not agree to the proposal. Prabhu said that for the past few months he and Soundarya were in love. The MLA said that he has married the girl with the blessings from his own parents.
The girl's father also said that Prabhu had "violated his trust". He further stated that for several years, Prabhu grew up with them and stayed at their home. The girl's family considered Prabhu as their son. He claimed his daughter was lured into a relationship and that she wasn't prepared for a wedding at this time. The couple has an age gap of 17 years between them.
In order to prove his innocence, Prabhu released a video along with Soundarya in which he tried to clarify that the two were in a relationship and that he did not abduct her. The district police have registered a case against Swaminathan for attempted suicide.
