Covid-19 Forces ex-Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy to Keep Son’s Wedding a Simple Affair

Bengaluru: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, his son Nikhil's wedding will be a low-key affair in the presence of close family members on April 17, at the residence.

Nikhil is engaged to Revathi, the grand-niece of former minister and Congress legislator M Krishnappa.

Both families had decided to have a grand wedding ceremony near Janapada Loka in Ramanagara, the political turf of Kumaraswamy and preparations were on for the same.

"Can it (marriage in Ramanagara) happen in the given situation, we have decided to complete the marriage rituals in the presence of 15-20 family members at home," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters in Ramanagara, he said, "Let's see when time comes (about any grand event), for now have decided to do it in the House itself on April 17, it is auspicious day, we don't want to postpone it. About other things let's see in the future."

Nikhil's wedding was planned in a 95-acre land near Ramanagara with a lavish set, with lakhs of party workers and well-wishers in attendance, followed by a grand reception in Bengaluru.

Nikhil has acted in couple of Kannada films in the lead role.

The grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the party bastion of Mandya and had lost against multilingual actress Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate supported by BJP, in a bitterly contested poll.

Meanwhile, stating that there was no clarity whether the lockdown will end on April 14 or it will continue, with the graph of number of cases increasing, Kumaraswamy said, there are reports that the lockdown will continue in about 16 districts, while it will be withdrawn in other districts.

"I'm also watching what steps the government will take, this is not the time for criticism, this is the time to advise the government to function efficiently," he said, as he urged the government to provide proper infrastructure to doctors and other medical staff who at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, by providing them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits immediately.