Rajbiraj, April 29:

The ire of locals of Rajbiraj, the district headquarters of Saptari, who have been protesting against singer Udit Narayan Jha for his refusal to accept Ranjana Jha as his first wife, refuses to die down.

In course of the protest, the Maithali Kavi Parisad yesterday burnt an album featuring songs sung by Udit.

Ranjana is also vice-chairperson of the Maithali Women’s Council. “Protests will continue if justice is not delivered to Ranjana,” said the secretary of the council, Sadhana Jha.

Dozens of organisations said they would not listen to songs sung by Udit. They said they would boycott films featuring songs sung by him unless he accepts Ranjana as his wife. Locals have supported the initiative of the women’s council to protest against Udit’s stance.

Prakash Kumar Khatiwda of the FNJ and Manju Shrestha, a teacher, said the protests will continue until justice is done to Ranjana. Chairperson of the women’s council, Meena Thakur, said the people of Saptari would help Ranjana safeguard her rights.

“We have also decided to make efforts to mention Ranjana as the first wife of Udit in his biography, which has been incorporated in the optional Maithali textbook of grade nine,” said the secretary of the Maithili Teaching Taskforce, Devendra Mishra.

Udit is learnt to have gotten married to Ranjana, daughter of Chandra Kant Jha, at Nirmali Baluwa (India) on December 7, 1985, according to Maithili tradition.