Chandigarh: The lavish wedding of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha with Bollywood star Parineeti Chopra in Udaipur on Sunday became a political issue in Punjab with the opposition raising questions over the grandeur of the ceremony.
Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) targeted Chadha for spending crores on wasteful expenditure, claiming to be an “ordinary, poor common man”.
Apart from the “lavish Punjabi wedding”, Chadha is also facing criticism for allegedly misusing the Punjab government machinery for a private function and choosing Rajasthan as the destination.
Chadha and Chopra’s wedding took place in Udaipur on Sunday. The guest list included Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
On Monday, Chadha posted the wedding photos on X, while Chopra shared them on her Instagram page.
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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
‘Misuse of Punjab government machinery’
Congress’s Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged on Facebook on Sunday that Chadha, a chartered accountant by profession, has shown his annual income of Rs 2.44 lakh in his 2021 income tax return.
In his video message, Khaira said that Chadha will pay Rs 10 lakh per night for the “Maharaja Suite” in the seven-star hotel where the newly married couple is staying. He said, “Chadha and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders went to the city and shouted from the rooftops that they were simple, poor people and were coming into politics to improve the condition of people like them.” He further said, “If a common man’s marriage is like this, I wonder what a special man will be like?”.
He also alleged that “the official machinery of the Punjab government is being used for the marriage.”
“The engagement ceremony took place at Kapurthala House in Delhi, which is the official residence of the Punjab Chief Minister when he visits Delhi,” Khaira said.
Khaira also took a dig at the couple’s decision to get married in Rajasthan. Khaira also posted his criticism on X, saying, “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 a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, choose Rajasthan instead?”
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 best 7 Star hotels spending… pic.twitter.com/Bcf4M0hzTq
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) September 24, 2023
Reiterating the allegations, SAD’s Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded that the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab should clarify whether industrialists from the state were paying wedding bills worth crores of rupees.
“Punjabi are upset with the lavish wedding of Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha, in which crores are being spent,” he said in a post on
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 also shared a video of Chadha landing at Udaipur airport surrounded by security personnel.
He made the video caption Said, “This is the marriage of Arvind Kejriwal’s blue-eyed son Raghav Chadha, but CM Bhagwant Mann has hundreds of security personnel, bullet proof land cruisers etc. in his service! Wow..!! It is no surprise that the Governor of Punjab is rightly asking where is the money of Punjab. Loans worth Rs 50,000 crore taken in last 18 months have been spent by @AAPPunjab govt.”
Khaira quoted an old speech of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Video Also shared, in which he can be heard saying that no politician will be given unnecessary security if Aam Aadmi Party comes to power. Khaira said that AAP is the most influential person in Indian politics.Big hypocrites.” People are involved.
Akali leader Parambans Singh Romana shared an interview of Chadha on land.
Romana wrote, “Question- What has changed between 2019 and 2023? Answer: Only government in Punjab.”
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 government in Punjab. pic.twitter.com/680WWlhFIU— Parambans Singh Romana (@ParambansRomana) September 23, 2023
(Editing: Falguni Sharma)
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