A controversial mining tycoon has taken over a royal palace and flown in Brazilian dancers at a reported cost Rs5bn ($75mn) to celebrate his daughter’s wedding yesterday, as the country reels from a cash crisis.
Up to 50,000 people attended the wedding of Bramhani, Gali Janardhan Reddy’s daughter, at the sprawling Bengaluru Palace, a mock Tudor castle.
Local media criticised the extravagance at a time when many people are struggling to find the cash to buy food following the government’s shock move to pull high-value notes out of circulation in a bid to tackle tax evasion.
But one associate defended the lavish expenditure, saying Reddy wanted people to remember the wedding of his only daughter.
“It is unfortunate that a daughter’s wedding has been made an issue out of envy and rivalry,” Manju Swamy said ahead of the party.
“It’s an important moment for her parents and they wanted to celebrate the event in a way that befits the family’s status in society.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced last week that Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes - 85% of the cash in circulation - would cease to be legal tender.
Indians can change a limited number of old notes for new ones at banks and post offices, but there have been huge queues since they reopened last Thursday after closing for a day following the announcement.
Indians rely heavily on cash for their daily transactions and those living in rural areas or who do not have bank accounts have been particularly hard hit.
The 49-year-old Reddy, a former minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, spent three years in jail for his alleged involvement in a mining scam before he was released on bail last year.
Speaking to journalists in his hometown last week, he refused to reveal how much he was spending on the celebrations, but said everything would be declared to the tax authorities.
Guests received their invitations on LCD devices and helium balloons featuring images of the Reddy family were reported to be floating above the palace.
While some residents were appalled at Reddy’s obscene display of wealth at a time of cash crunch, others were sympathetic.
“What’s wrong in conducting a daughter’s wedding on a grand scale? The rich and wealthy do it regularly,” said Jayaprakash Rao, a retired government official.
“Reddy is spending from his pocket and not public money,” Rao said.
Activist T Narasimha Murthy put the cost of the wedding at Rs5bn, a figure that tallied with media reports.
“Reddy has hired about 3,000 bouncers and security guards to prevent media and activists like me from barging into the venue,” said Murthy, adding he had petitioned local tax authorities to investigate.