Much in competition BJP too hosts Iftar party along with Congress

Today is the day that Congress party is holding its Iftar party that is being hosted by the Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

It is his first Iftar party as the party head. The last Iftar party was held 2 years back hosted by Sonia Gandhi.

But who all are invited to the Congress Iftar party? There were allegations that former Prime Minister Pranab Mukherjee was not invited after he had attended the RSS’s event.

Putting rest to the rumours, the Congress party has confirmed that Mukherjee has been invited to Congress’ Iftar party that is being held at the Taj hotel today.

Rahul Gandhi’s Iftar party is likely to be attended by NCP leaders Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah, Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi among others.

Former presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil, ex-vice president Hamid Ansari and several opposition leaders are likely to attend an Iftar party as well.

Senior Congress and opposition party leaders are likely to attend the Iftar party at a local luxury hotel, according to sources.

Sources said leaders of all like-minded non-BJP parties, which have been holding parleys on key issues, have been invited for the event.

READ ALSO: Mankameshwar temple hosts iftar party

Sources also said Telangana Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal have not been invited for the event.

The resumption of Iftar party comes at a time when the Congress is seen to be pursuing a policy of soft Hindutva as evidenced in Rahul Gandhi’s several recent temple visits.

Not to be left out, BJP too has decided to conduct and Ifatr party.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will also be throwing an iftar party today – the only difference is that the BJP leader’s party would host only women, mainly victims of triple talaq. The Centre had filed an affidavit against the practice of triple talaq in the Supreme Court, who declared the practice as “illegal” in August 2017. 

If Congress’ aim is to bring together the Opposition ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, then Navi’s party is being read as the saffron party’s attempt to reach out to the Muslim community. The party will be held at the senior BJP leader’s residence today at 6 pm. 

As part of the BJP’s ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ or ‘Contact for Support nation-wide outreach programme ahead of the 2019 polls, the Minority Affairs Minister has also met representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities. As per reports, Naqvi had earlier in the past stated that Ramzan fast should not be the “domain” of either the government or political parties. However, party sources have been quoted in a few reports as saying that the party leadership thought it was desirable to hold the iftar party for Muslim women, given the fact that the Centre had brought in several measures to facilitate their empowerment. Such measures included fighting against the Triple Talaq practice and tweaking the Haj policy that now allows women to undertake the pilgrimage without a male companion. 

Sources also reportedly said that the iftar party at Naqvi’s residence had the blessing of BJP President Amit Shah.