Gandhinagar: Surat based Singer Aarti Sangani’s marriage to Gondal based tabla player Devang Gohel has become the third high-profile inter-caste wedding to spark intense debate across Gujarati media and social platforms in recent weeks.

Sangani publicly announced her marriage with Gohel during, a revelation that reportedly came as a shock to her family. Speaking to the media, her Surat-based father became emotional and said he felt betrayed by his daughter’s decision. He stated that he had given her complete freedom and had remained in regular contact with her over phone calls. According to him, Aarti had assured the family that she would not take any step against their wishes, but later declared her marriage with Devang Gohel, who belongs to another caste.

Several leaders associated with the Patidar quota agitation have expressed disappointment and anger over Sangani’s decision to marry outside her caste against her father’s wishes. Quota agitation leader Alpesh Kathiria reiterated the demand for a law that would make parental consent mandatory for registered marriages. Recently, a delegation of Patidar quota agitation leaders met Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi with the same demand.

Sources indicate that while the government does not want to alienate community leaders, it is also examining the constitutional and legal implications of such a proposal to ensure that any legislation can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Aarti Sangani released a video responding to criticism on social media. The video featured her partner Devang Gohel, who hails from Gondal. In a related development, some individuals from the Patidar community have allegedly threatened to disrupt Sangani’s future music events.

In another controversy linked to inter-caste marriage, a Brahmin youth, Yash Upadhyay, married a Patidar woman, Piyu. Upadhyay claimed that he and his father were called for a compromise meeting by the woman’s father. However, when they visited her residence for dinner, they were allegedly assaulted, and the woman was reportedly taken away in a car without a number plate. Following intervention by Brahmin community leaders, a police case was registered.

Subsequently, the woman appeared before the police and stated that she had not been abducted, a statement that led to her relatives being removed as accused from the FIR filed by Upadhyay and his father. She later appeared before a court and expressed her wish to stay with her husband under police protection. The court allowed her request.

In yet another inter-caste dispute, Brahmin singer Kinjal Dave broke off her engagement with a Brahmin man and decided to marry a Jain businessman. Following this, members of her Brahmin sub-caste announced a social boycott of Dave and her father. Reacting to the decision, Kinjal Dave released a video on social media, openly protesting the action taken by her caste group.

These incidents have once again brought inter-caste marriages and community responses into sharp public focus in Gujarat. DeshGujarat