Raj’s wedding politics despite Rahul snub

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 14

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray plans to use his son Amit’s wedding later this month to build bridges with top-level politicians across the country.

A much-publicised attempt to meet Rahul Gandhi, however, fizzled out after the Congress president did not give Thackeray an appointment. MNS spokespersons have now indicated that two his close associates, Harshal Deshpande and Manoj Hate, will be tasked with inviting Gandhi and other political bigwigs for the event.

MNS leaders said former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Maneka Gandhi, Prakash Javadekar are among those being invited for the wedding. Thackeray, however, told reporters that he was not planning to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his son’s wedding. “Does Modi believe in the institution of marriage?” Thackeray quipped to a reporter when asked the question.