Overview
- At a November 10 Trinamool Congress event in Kultali, Mathurapur MP Bapi Haldar led a public felicitation for newlyweds Riya Sardar and Rakhi Naskar.
- Abhishek Banerjee addressed the gathering by phone over loudspeaker, congratulating the couple and praising villagers who supported them.
- The women, aged about 19 and 20 and both professional dancers, held a social ceremony on November 4 at Paler Chak Temple in Jalaberia after family opposition.
- Banerjee framed the moment as an inclusive stance for TMC and criticized what he described as the BJP’s rigidity on equality, with the state BJP yet to respond.
- Their union carries no legal status under current law, following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that the Special Marriage Act does not cover same‑sex couples.