The Mumbai Traffic Police have issued guidelines concerning traffic restrictions and diversions around the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Jio World Convention Centre in preparation for the upcoming wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
Scheduled from July 12 to July 15, 2024, the wedding festivities have prompted the authorities to plan for significant traffic adjustments.
According to a press release dated July 5, the Mumbai Police stated, “A social program is scheduled at Jio World Convention Center, BKC, Bandra (E), Mumbai on the 5th, and from the 12th to 15th of July, 2024. A large number of guests and VIPs are expected to attend. To minimize inconvenience, traffic leading to the Jio World Convention Center will be diverted via official notification.”
Anticipated to attract a glittering array of guests including Bollywood celebrities and international personalities like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, the event has nonetheless sparked criticism regarding the imposed travel restrictions. Public dissent has been voiced on social media platforms.
Commenting on the situation, one individual on X, formerly Twitter, remarked, “Why has an industrialist’s private event turned into a public affair? Is the entire city invited or just a select few? Instead of inconveniencing the public, organizers should have scheduled the event for later in the day, perhaps toward the evening.”
Another user questioned, “Is Anant Ambani’s wedding a public event? Why are ordinary citizens being disrupted for a private affair?”
Criticism extended further with questions like, “Since when did the government begin intervening in private events?” reflecting widespread sentiment that the restrictions are unjustified.
The public outcry underscores concerns about prioritizing private functions over the daily needs of the general populace. Views ranged from questioning the characterization of the wedding as a public spectacle to tongue-in-cheek suggestions that the government should declare a holiday to mitigate the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens.
The main events of the Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding are set to begin on Friday, July 12, with the Shubh Vivah ceremony. Festivities will continue the next day with Shubh Aashirwad on Saturday, July 13, culminating in the Mangal Utsav wedding reception on Sunday, July 14.
As Mumbai prepares for these lavish celebrations, authorities are urged to balance the grandeur of the event with the convenience of residents, ensuring that measures taken do not disproportionately burden the public.