Sonipat: Lok Sabha leader of opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attended the wedding of a farmer’s daughter in Medina village of Sonipat district, fulfilling a promise he made to the family during an earlier visit. The village falls under Baroda assembly segment in Gohana. Gandhi reached the village at 10.10am and spent nearly an hour at the ceremony hosted by farmer Sanjay Malik, whose daughter Tanu was getting married. He was accompanied by party MP Deepender Hooda and MLA Indu Raj Narwal.Villagers welcomed Gandhi by presenting him with a turban. When he walked towards the house where the rituals were underway, locals greeted him with “Ram-Ram, Rahul Bhai”, to which he responded with folded hands and a smile.During the ceremony, Gandhi met members of the bride’s family and blessed the couple. He interacted with villagers and spent some time seated among family members, enquiring about local customs and wedding traditions. Women in the household were singing traditional wedding songs as he joined them briefly and asked about the rituals associated with the ceremony.Gandhi also sampled traditional dishes served during the celebrations. He had churma with milk, tasted missi roti prepared by the bride, and also tried sweets including balushahi, laddoos and freshly prepared jalebis. At one point, he was seen offering jalebi to Deepender and the bride’s father, Sanjay Malik.Family members said they were surprised by Gandhi’s presence. Kirti Jakhar, a relative of the bride, said the family had invited him, but did not expect him to actually attend the ceremony. According to her, women in the house were singing ritual songs when the news of his arrival spread, creating excitement among the guests.The family also said a day before the wedding, Gandhi had sent a 55-inch LED television as a gift. During the ceremony, he presented the bride with a traditional ‘shagun’ envelope. The bride’s mother Sunita Devi said his presence at their home was itself the biggest blessing for the family.Gandhi’s association with the family dates to 2023, when he had visited Medina and joined Sanjay Malik in his fields. During that visit, he drove a tractor and participated in paddy transplantation, an interaction that drew considerable public attention. Later, he had invited Malik and several other farmers to his residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi.
