It has not been easy though. The mega-wedding of the daughter of mining baron and former BJP politician Janardhan Reddy, which is estimated to cost over Rs 500 crore was seen by politicians as a must attend.
In the aftermath of Prime Minister Modi’s demonetization declaration, the top brass of the BJP has issued a strict warning to its rank and file—on no account are they to attend large scale family and wedding functions which could attract the attention of the media. As a result, many BJP leaders are keeping a low profile. Many of those who have been invited to such functions are trying to find ways to politely decline.
It has not been easy though. The mega-wedding of the daughter of mining baron and former BJP politician Janardhan Reddy, which is estimated to cost over Rs 500 crore was seen by politicians as a must attend.
Today though, people are asking if Reddy will be brought under the lens of Income Tax department. Sources reveal that top politicians who did attend the functions have been pulled up by the top brass.
It’s one thing to stay away, but it’s quite another thing if one is organising a wedding. Senior BJP leader Prakash Mehta, who is the Housing Minister in the Maharashtra government, had scheduled his son’s (Harsh) wedding on November 27. Sources say that initially the wedding was planned on a grand scale with invites issued to nearly 25,000 people. However, a family friend of Mehta’s reveals, that has now all changed.
“After the warning from the top bosses, he (Mehta) has curtailed the opulence of the wedding. Earlier, he had printed 25,000 invitation cards but has decided to distribute now only 5000. So, from an estimated 25,000-30,000 guests, there will now be merely 5,000.”
The family friend added that the Mehta family was naturally disappointed but he (Mehta) had no choice but to listen to the top brass. When contacted, Mehta was not available for comment.
It’s not just Mehta alone. BJP leader and Maharashtra’s Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar has opted not to give his daughter an opulent wedding. Instead, the family has opted for a very low key marriage ceremony at their home district Buldhana in Maharashtra.
When contacted, Akash Phundkar, BJP MLA and son of Pandurang Phundkar denied that the family had got any diktat from top BJP leaders. He did however confirm to DNA that his sister’s marriage would be on a very low scale.
Asked to comment on the recent move by the party to scale down functions, a senior BJP leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was a good move.
“If our own party leaders and ministers start spending huge money on weddings and family functions then it can invite public ire as well as contradict the prime minister’s stand,” he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Janardhan Reddy")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}