Chandigarh: The glitzy wedding of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha with Bollywood star Parineeti Chopra at Udaipur Sunday turned into a political issue in Punjab with the Opposition questioning the opulence of the ceremony.
The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) launched barbs at Chadha for spending crores on the extravagant affair, while claiming to be a “simple, poor aam aadmi (common man)”.
Apart from the “big fat Punjabi wedding”, Chadha is also receiving flak for allegedly misusing Punjab government machinery for a private ceremony, as well as choosing Rajasthan as the destination.
Chadha and Chopra got married in Udaipur Sunday. The guest list included Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
On Monday, Chadha tweeted pictures of the wedding on X (formerly Twitter), while Chopra posted them on her Instagram page.
From the very first chat at the breakfast table, our hearts knew. Been waiting for this day for a long time .. So blessed to finally be Mr and Mrs!
Couldn’t have lived without each other .. Our forever begins now .. 💖 pic.twitter.com/lKggHJZhTx
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 25, 2023
Also Read: Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha suspended from Rajya Sabha for ‘gross violation of rules’
‘Punjab govt machinery misused’
Sukhpal Singh Khaira of the Congress took to Facebook Sunday to allege that Chadha, who is a chartered accountant by profession, had shown his annual income as Rs 2.44 lakh in his income tax returns for 2021.
In his video message, Khaira went on to say that Chadha would be paying Rs 10 lakh per night for the “Maharaja suite” in the seven-star hotel where the newlyweds are staying. “Chadha and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders went to town, shouting from rooftops that they were plain, simple, poor people getting into politics to improve the lot of people like them,” he said. “If this is how an aam aadmi gets married, then I wonder what a khas aadmi will be?” he added.
He also alleged that the “Punjab government’s official machinery is being used for the wedding”.
“The engagement ceremony had taken place at Kapurthala House in Delhi, which is the official residence of the Punjab chief minister whenever he visits Delhi,” said Khaira.
Khaira also took a dig at the couple’s decision to get married in Rajasthan. “Just a few days ago, crores were spent on a tourism summit in Punjab, where Punjab was being sold as a wedding destination. So, why did Chadha, who is Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, choose Rajasthan instead?” said Khaira, also posting his criticism on X.
Although i wish @raghav_chadha good luck for his new innings with his wife Parneeti Chopra but he must explain how an @AamAadmiParty (Aam Aadmi) like him filing a meager Income Tax return of Rs 2.44 Lacs can afford such a pompous wedding bash at the bestest 7 Star hotels spending… pic.twitter.com/Bcf4M0hzTq
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) September 24, 2023
Sukhbir Singh Badal of SAD repeated the charges, demanding that the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab should clarify if the state’s industrialists were footing the bill for the multi-crore wedding.
“Punjabis are disconcerted by the big fat wedding of @AamAadmiParty MP @raghav_chadha in which crores are being spent,” he said in a post on X.
Punjabis are disconcerted by the big fat wedding of @AamAadmiParty MP @raghav_chadha in which crores are being spent.
Since Chadha has filed an income tax return of only Rs 2.44 lakh in 2020-21, CM @BhagwantMann should tell whether the Punjab govt was picking up the tab of the… pic.twitter.com/26Kql9BJOk
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) September 24, 2023
SAD MP and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal shared a video of Chadha landing at the Udaipur airport surrounded by security personnel.
“Wedding of @ArvindKejriwal blue eyed boy @raghav_chadha but at his service is CM @BhagwantMann’s hundreds of security men, bullet proof land cruisers etc ! Waah ..!! No wonder Punjab Governer (sic) is rightfully asking where Punjab’s Rs. 50,000 crores worth of loans taken in last 18 months has been spent by @AAPPunjab Govt,” she posted.
Khaira also shared the video of an old speech by former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, where the latter is heard saying that no politician would be given unnecessary security when the AAP comes to power. Khaira said the AAP comprised the “biggest hypocrites” in Indian politics.
Akali leader Parambans Singh Romana tweeted an interview of Chadha ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where he claimed to be the poorest candidate in Delhi and told the interviewer that he had no car, no house or land anywhere.
“Q- What has changed between 2019 and 2023? A- Only the govt in Punjab,” posted Romana.
2019- Raghav Chadha is the poorest candidate contesting Lok Sabha election Delhi.
2023- He’s booked all luxury properties in Udaipur for his wedding and is himself staying in a suite costing Rs 10 lac/night.
Q- What has changed between 2019 and 2023?
A- Only the govt in Punjab. pic.twitter.com/680WWlhFIU
— Parambans Singh Romana (@ParambansRomana) September 23, 2023
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)