Mumbai Police has issued a traffic advisory restricting movement around Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex from July 12–15. There has been a growing chorus of voices that has also sought the event to be declared a public holiday, citing inconvenience.
Among those in the invitees’ list for this high-profile wedding are bigwigs in politics, business, entertainment, and sports, which some local media say could number in hundreds. Anticipating their arrival, traffic diversions were announced by authorities, but only “to avoid inconvenience to the people.”.
“THERE SHALL BE NO ENTRY at Dhirubhai Ambani Square Avenue/Indian Oil Petrol Pump for the vehicular traffic from Kurla, MTNL Junction, Platina Junction, Diamond Junction, BKC towards BKC connector bridge” Mumbai Traffic Police declared on July 5. The traffic coming from Laxmi Tower junction, Diamond junction, and Bharat Nagar towards Kurla MTNL junction, that is, inbound traffic, too, would be diverted through other routes.
The restrictions are, of course, limited to regular traffic. Vehicles heading out towards the Ambani wedding will not be hindered from entering and exiting the “no entry” zones. With this development, many BKC offices have asked their staff to work from home.
The reply from the public on the micro-blogging site was prompt and furious. “I live in a country where people rant about traffic when farmers Protest for bare minimum promises to retain their livelihoods. They run to Supreme Court to remove the farmers because of ‘inconvenience & traffic’ but no one dares to question in SC, the Government or the Ambanis”, an user wrote on X. Another asked: “How will they assert, and re-assert their importance, if they don’t organise this cringefest, on a working day, in a busy business area, and ensure that the entire city, (financial hub of the country, no less), comes to a grinding halt?”
Many went to the extent of demanding a national holiday to be spared the horror of it all. The wedding between Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant is slated for Friday, July 12. Thereafter, it will be followed by two more days of festivities. This includes the “Shubh Aashirwad” ceremony and reception.