{"id":196116,"date":"2024-12-16T10:56:06","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T10:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/16\/us-based-interfaith-couple-cancels-wedding-reception-in-aligarh-after-right-wing-outcry\/"},"modified":"2024-12-16T10:56:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T10:56:06","slug":"us-based-interfaith-couple-cancels-wedding-reception-in-aligarh-after-right-wing-outcry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/16\/us-based-interfaith-couple-cancels-wedding-reception-in-aligarh-after-right-wing-outcry\/","title":{"rendered":"US-based interfaith couple cancels wedding reception in Aligarh after right-wing outcry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"US-based<\/div>\n
A wedding reception planned for December 21 in Aligarh was cancelled after protests by right-wing groups, who claimed the event could disrupt communal harmony. The couple, Ashar Choudhury and Avani Bhargava, both professionals based in the United States, had organised the event to celebrate their interfaith marriage with family and friends. The cancellation came after members of Bajrang Dal, Karni Sena, and Brahman Maha Sabha submitted a memorandum to district officials, warning of consequences if the reception was allowed to proceed, as reported by TOI.<\/p>\n

Couple\u2019s Background and Marriage Details<\/h2>\n

Ashar Choudhury, 30, a senior executive at a multinational firm in the US, and Avani Bhargava, 29, an MBA graduate working for a private company, were married four months ago in the United States. Their wedding was registered under the Special Marriage Act at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. After returning to India, their families planned a reception in Aligarh, their hometown, at a marriage hall on G T Road.<\/p>\n

The event became controversial after an invitation card, which read, \u201cWe joyfully request your presence to bless the newlyweds Avani and Ashar,\u201d was widely circulated on social media. Right-wing groups quickly opposed the reception, alleging it could lead to communal tension in the city. On December 12, leaders of these groups, including Bajrang Dal and Karni Sena, announced their intent to protest.<\/p>\n

Protesters Submit Memorandum<\/h2>\n

On December 15, protesters marched to the Collectorate and presented a memorandum to Additional District Magistrate (City) Amit Kumar Bhatt. Thakur Gyanendra Singh Chauhan, the state president of the All-India Karni Sena, claimed the event was a case of \u201clove jihad.\u201d As told to TOI, he said, \u201cWe will not step back, even if it means entering the hotel or challenging the administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Aligarh mayor Shakuntala Bharti also expressed her opposition, stating, \u201cThe reception should not take place under any circumstances. If any incident occurs, the hotel owner and district administration will be held responsible.\u201d Bajrang Dal coordinator Gaurav Sharma added, \u201cWhile the Constitution permits adults to marry by choice, hosting such an event in a sensitive city like Aligarh could incite unrest. We are not against the marriage itself, but such an event should not happen here.\u201d<\/p>\n


The memorandum submitted by the groups also referenced broader issues, including alleged mistreatment of Hindus in Bangladesh and recent communal violence in Uttar Pradesh districts like Sambhal and Bahraich.<\/p>\n

Families Cancel Reception Over Safety Concerns<\/h2>\n

Under pressure, both families announced the event\u2019s cancellation on social media, citing \u201cunforeseen circumstances.\u201d A family friend explained, \u201cThe event was scheduled to take place in a few days, and a marriage hall was booked. But due to the protests and concerns for the safety of guests, both families decided to cancel the programme.\u201dADM Amit Kumar Bhatt confirmed receiving the memorandum and said the matter was under review. Local police officials reported that no untoward incidents occurred during the protests. The manager of the marriage hall also confirmed that the booking had been cancelled in compliance with the families\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n

This incident has reignited discussions around interfaith marriages and social resistance in India. While the Special Marriage Act provides a legal framework for such unions, societal pressures often pose significant challenges. In Aligarh, a city with a history of communal sensitivity, the protests against this reception highlight the persistent tensions over interfaith relationships.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s families, who initially faced resistance to the marriage, had eventually supported their decision. However, fearing potential unrest, they chose safety over celebration, avoiding a confrontation with the protesting groups.<\/p>\n

(With inputs from TOI)
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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A wedding reception planned for December 21 in Aligarh was cancelled after protests by right-wing groups, who claimed the event could disrupt communal harmony. The couple, Ashar Choudhury and Avani Bhargava, both professionals based in the United States, had organised the event to celebrate their interfaith marriage with family and friends. The cancellation came after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":196117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img.etimg.com\/photo\/msid-116364863,imgsize-49040.cms","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[602],"tags":[21138,153876,153883,153880,14404,153881,133,32458,153878,153879,17772,10081,153877,9009,153885,153882,5117,748,153884],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196116"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196116"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":196118,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196116\/revisions\/196118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}