MP minister to wed off children in mass marriage function

In a bid to discourage the practice of lavish weddings, Madhya Pradesh minister Gopal Bhargava will hold nuptial ceremonies of his two children at a mass marriage function near here.

Unlike the extravagant functions organised by politicians for their children, Bhargava said wedding ceremonies of his son and daughter will be organised at the mass marriage event on April 22 at Garhakota in the district, nearly 40 kms from here.

"Few days ago, when I met Prime Minister to invite him for weddings of my son and daughter I told him that they are going to be held in a mass marriage function. Modiji patted me saying, I was doing a good work," Bhargava, the state Panchayat and Social Justice minister, told PTI.

An MLA from Raheli Assembly, the minister's son, Abhishek, an MBA, and daughter, Avantika, a doctor, readily agreed to be part of the mass marriage ceremony, which will be held under Mukhya Mantri Kanyadaan Yojna.

As many as 1,200 couples including 28 Muslim couples will tie the nuptial knot in the ceremony on April 22.

Bhargava, an MLA since 1985, has been a champion to promote mass marriage culture in the Bundelkhand region and helped people organise various mass weddings where over 14,000 couples have tied knot in past 14 years, BJP leader Shailendra Kesarwani said.