Days after the Indian government announced an overnight ban on 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in a crackdown on illegal cash holding, an Indian politician has attracted the fury of people in the poverty-stricken country by throwing an outrageously extravagant wedding for his daughter.
The lavish bash is said to have cost businessmen and ex-state minister Gali Janardhana Reddy an estimated 5bn rupees – which is equivalent to £59million or $74million.
Guests were invited to daughter Brahmani’s wedding with gold-plated invitations, while Bollywood stars performed in a five-day extravaganza that critics have branded an ‘obscene display of wealth’.
The wedding invitation had an estimated cost of Rs5 crore as it was wrapped in a blue box with a LCD screen inside, playing a nearly three-minute video of Reddy, his family and prospective groom inviting guests to the wedding, lip syncing to a Kannada song in the background.
The bride’s dress is worth Rs17 crore whereas the jewels cost Rs90 crore.
The extravaganza spending on wedding includes A-list film actors as a part of the entertainment, renting the Bengaluru Palace Grounds, and having film set artistes recreate Hampi and a rustic village as a part of the wedding decorations.
It is pertinent to mention here that Gali Janardhan Reddy, the former minister of Karnataka, has been jailed previously for three years over corruption charges.
