Can you call it a public dowry offer or is it the self-proclamation of immense wealth? Social media users are asking these two questions after a wedding advertisement was published in Elite Matrimony.
The advertisement reveals that the woman who is now searching for a groom has an asset of more than Rs 1,000 crore and is the granddaughter of a former Union minister. As per the advertisement, the groom is a Hindu Nadar girl who is now 24 years old.
The bride is an engineering graduate who owns an engineering college. She is also the owner of various malls and other businesses. The advertisement makes it clear that royal families in Tamil Nadu can contact on the number 9962550955 to contact the bride's parents.
We can also see similar advertisements featuring brides with assets of Rs 200 crore and Rs 300 crore on the same page.
A picture of the wedding advertisement was later shared on Twitter by veteran journalist Raju Narisetti.
"In India, marriage ads in newspapers have now started listing net worth of families looking for brides/grooms: listed here, hundreds of millions in $," captioned the journalist after posting the image.
In India, marriage ads in newspapers have now started listing net worth of families looking for brides/grooms: listed here, hundreds of millions in $ pic.twitter.com/WU0oQP6vVL
— Raju Narisetti (@raju) August 21, 2018
As the image of the strange wedding advertisement went viral, social media users also started trolling the people and the website who published this ad which could be considered an open dowry offer.
A Twitter user named Abhijeet Ahluwalia raised concerns over how a central minister could earn a fortune worth Rs 1,000 crore.
"Curious how the family has a fortune that large on a minister's salary. No suggestion that anything crooked went on, obviously," tweeted Abhijeet Ahluwalia.
"Let us send this to Income tax department. shadi kardengey," tweeted NakkaToka.com.
The services of Elite Matrimony have also racked up negative criticisms from all corners after this advertisement went viral. In a developing country like India where common men often fail to meet the daily requirements of food, water, shelter and clothing, a website like 'Elite Matrimony' claims that they are performing exclusive matchmaking service for the upper crust of society.
Many social media users argue that checking the profiles of people listed on this website could help the Income Tax Department to nab many tax-evading culprits.
