Though Friday's wedding reception of BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s son is expected to be attended by political superstars and top industrialists, the ostentation accompanying the occasion has caused anger on the part of some.
The marriage between Gadkari’s son Nikhil (25) and Rutuja (22) was solemnised in a family gathering in Nagpur on Thursday.
Nikhil, a businessman, met Rutuja at a city hotel last year. Rutuja’s father, Purushottam Pathak, is a bank official.
Those invited include President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, RSS president Mohan Bhagwat, opposition leader Sushma Swaraj, BJP leader LK Advani, all BJP-ruled states’ chief ministers, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
From the world of industry, the Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil, Ratan Tata, Vijay Mallya and Kumar Mangalam Birla will attend the reception. So will Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.
Reportedly, 22 special flights have been arranged from different parts of the country to fly in the eminent invitees.
{{/usCountry}}Reportedly, 22 special flights have been arranged from different parts of the country to fly in the eminent invitees.
{{/usCountry}}Around 2,000 family members, friends and invitees participated in the marriage rituals. The guests included BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, Maharashtra BJP chief Sudhir Munganttiwar, former MP chief minister Sunderlal Patwa, RSS ideologue MG Vaidya and Congress legislator Satish Chaturvedi.
But there are murmurs of disapproval at this because such a lavish display of wealth supposedly goes against the RSS ethos. “Marriage is a private matter. This mega event could have been avoided,” an RSS activist said.
The activist, whose father was a pracharak in Lahore before independence, asked, “Through such an extravagant marriage, what message will Gadkari, who was groomed in RSS culture, give to the nation.”
A Congressman is rather angry. MLA SQ Zama said: “I have received an invitation from Nitin Gadkari. But I am not going to attend it in protest against the ugly display of money.”
Gadkari was not available for comment.