Congress hits back at Shah, with airport wedding proposal

Panaji, July 6 (IANS) A week after BJP President Amit Shah's party meeting at Goa's Dabolim airport triggered a row, a Congress leader on Thursday pulled off a sarcastic one, by applying to the Airport Authority of India to let him use the airport premises for his wedding.

In a letter to Airport Director B.C. Negi, Goa Congress General Secretary Janardhan Bhandari has said he would adhere to all provisions of law during the wedding as long as he was granted permission to host the wedding at the airport - on the lines of the party meeting held by Shah a week ago that was attended by around 2,500 party workers.

"I am very pleased to inform you that I have been engaged recently and planning to get married soon," Bhandari said in his letter to the top airport official.

He added that a lot of guests would be coming from various states and landing at Dabolim airport and he cannot afford to make arrangements for the stay and travel of so many guests.

"It would be nice if you could permit me to use your airport for my wedding reception in September. I will fix the date as per the availability of the airport as per your convenience," Bhandari said.

Shah's controversial meeting at the Goa airport, which is operated from an Indian Naval Base, has embarrassed the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa.

A complaint has been filed by a local activist with the Civil Aviation Ministry against Shah and Goa BJP leaders, accusing them of flouting the law and putting a defence ministry installation at risk.

Bhandari has sarcastically claimed that if he was granted permission, he was willing to abide by all rules including banning photography during his wedding and banning his wedding guests from bringing cars into airport premises.

"I shall be also glad if you along with your staff could bless me that day to make my wedding memorable," the letter added.