Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma invite PM Narendra Modi to their wedding reception

The hottest couple of the country are back in town. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma returned to India on Wednesday, 20 December, after a much publicized wedding in Italy. Immediately, the couple set out to invite the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to their reception on 21 December. The actress and the Indian cricket captain were congratulated by the prime minister in person. 

Modi's official Twitter handle put up a tweet announcing his meet with the couple. 'Captain of the Indian cricket team @imVkohli and noted actor @AnushkaSharma met PM @narendramodi this evening. The Prime Minister congratulated them on their wedding,' it read. 

Kohli and Sharma got married on 11 December in a private wedding ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. With only close friends and relatives attending the wedding, the couple have decided to throw a reception in Delhi, and another at a later date in Mumbai, for their colleagues in the film industry and the cricket world. Prime minister Narendra Modi will be among the many key personalities expected to attend the wedding. 

The meeting with Modi also serves as a safety for the couple after they found their patriotism being called into question by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Pannalal Shakya. At an event in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, Shakya said, "Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Vikramaditya, Yudhishthir got married on this land. You all must have got married here. None of us goes to a foreign country to get married ... (Mr. Kohli) earned money here and spent billions there (Italy)... (he) doesn’t have any respect for the country. This proves he is not a patriot." 

While the statement earned criticism from social media, the party itself has not made any comments. The personal invitation to Modi, the leading face of the party, serves to calm down these voices as well.