SONEPAT: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attended the wedding of a farmer’s daughter in Madina village of Sonepat district, fulfilling a promise he had made during an earlier visit to the village.
Rahul Gandhi arrived in the village around 10.10 am and stayed there for nearly an hour to participate in the wedding of Tanu, daughter of farmer Sanjay. He blessed the bride and interacted with family members and villagers, showing interest in the local customs and traditions associated with Haryanvi weddings.
The family welcomed Rahul Gandhi with a white turban as part of the traditional greeting. Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and several Congress leaders were also present.
According to sources, Sanjay and the village sarpanch had visited Delhi on February 25 to personally invite Rahul Gandhi to the wedding. Accepting the invitation, the Congress leader travelled to the village to attend the ceremony.
During the visit, Rahul Gandhi also tasted traditional dishes served at the wedding. He relished milk, ‘churma’ and laddoo, popular delicacies in rural Haryana. He also presented a gift and ‘shagun’ to the bride.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier visited Madina village in the Gohana area on July 8, 2023, where he interacted with farmers and agricultural labourers. During that visit, he had reached Sanjay’s fields while farmers were sowing paddy.
Rolling up his trousers, Rahul had stepped into the water-filled fields and joined the farmers in sowing paddy. He had also driven a tractor to plough the field and spent more than two hours interacting with farmers and labourers, listening to their concerns.
Later, he had invited farmer Sanjay and his family members, along with others from the village, to Delhi for lunch.
Commenting on the visit, Deepender Hooda said Rahul Gandhi’s participation in the wedding carried a symbolic message.
“Rahul Gandhi, keeping his word, arrived at the wedding to bless the bride and meet the family. He interacted with the family, asking about Haryana’s traditions and culture and inquiring about the joys and hardships of the people. During the visit, he also tasted churma, milk, and laddoo,” said Deepender.