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Politics of iftar parties: holding them, avoiding them

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Politics of iftar parties: holding them, avoiding them

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Above: Finance Minister Jaitley seen at an earlier iftar party at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Modi Government was unrepresented at President’s last iftar party

By Rajesh Sinha

For quite some time, many believed that holding Iftar parties by was a way to endear or appease the Muslims. Hosting Makar Sankranti, Diwali or Holi never gave rise to such notions. Besides, iftar party is an annual affair even at the White House in US.

BJP, the flagbearers of opposition to “appeasement of minorities”, seems to have decided to put an end to it. This reached a high point yesterday, the last Friday of Ramzan before Eid: none of the ministers of Modi government went for the Iftar hosted by outgoing President of India Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This was the last iftar the President hosted before his term ends next month.

In their non-attendance, Modi’s ministers have followed his example. If this was intended to send out a message, it succeeded.

Modi has stayed away from the presidential iftar party ever since he became Prime Minister. Ministers like Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley attended it on previous occasions, but chose to avoid it this time. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Naqvi also did not turn up, later claiming he could not could not attend the iftar party because of a hurriedly called meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs which went on till 8 pm and could not be avoided as the PM was going abroad the next morning.

Rashtrapati Bhavan had made seating arrangements with ministers in mind: Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar was to share a table with Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Rashtrapati Bhavan invites all members of the Union Council of Ministers to the iftar.

Opposition leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad were present at the event. “There was not a single minister, not a single government representative and not a single BJP leader. In all these years, I have never been to an iftar hosted by the President where there has been no representative of the Government of India,” CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury told The Indian Express.

Modi’s entire ministry not going to an Iftar party, that too by the President of India, is going a step ahead – or backward. After becoming PM, Modi started by breaking a long standing convention of holding iftar party at 7 Race Course Road, the residence of the Prime Minister. The previous BJP PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s iftar parties were grand affairs.

BJP’s other Hindutva icon to be elevated to the position of head of government, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has also ignored iftar parties. He skipped an Iftar party hosted by governor Ram Naik at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow on Friday and, unlike his predecessors but like Modi, did not host one either.

He had, however, organised ceremonies like ‘kanya poojan’ and hosted ‘falahari’ feast at the chief minister’s residence during the ‘Navratri’ fasting. Yogi is also the Mahant, or head priest, of the Gorakhnath temple. Other BJP chief ministers, Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh, had hosted iftar parties during their tenure.

In Uttar Pradesh it was, in fact, the RSS Muslim wing – Rashtriya Muslim Morcha, that held an iftar this Ramzan period, in their own way, serving cow milk and extolling its health benefits over beef – as if Muslims in the State regularly and routinely consume beef.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj says a conspiracy is underway for slow death of Arvind Kejriwal

Saurabh Bharadwaj also slammed the Tihar administration, BJP, Centre and Delhi LG and held them responsible for denying insulin to Kejriwal and said the Delhi Chief Minister has been suffering from Type-2 diabetes for the last 20-22 years.

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The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being pushed towards a slow death inside Tihar jail as he is being denied insulin and consultations with his doctor.  AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that Arvind Kejriwal, who is suffering from Type-2 diabetes, has been asking for insulin and a video conferencing with his family doctor as the jail administration is not allowing him to do so.

Bharadwaj said he wants to say with full responsibility that a conspiracy is underway for the slow death of Kejriwal. He said his claims were on the basis of blood sugar readings of the Delhi Chief Minister in jail. He also slammed the Tihar administration, BJP, Centre and Delhi LG and held them responsible for denying insulin to Kejriwal and said the Delhi Chief Minister has been suffering from Type-2 diabetes for the last 20-22 years.

On Friday, the Delhi chief minister’s council Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Kejriwal has not been administered insulin to control his sugar levels since his arrest, and termed it alarming and shocking. The Enforcement Directorate had on Thursday claimed before the court that Kejriwal has been taking high sugar intake by consuming foods like mangoes and sweets every day, inspite of the fact that he was suffering from Type-2 diabetes, to create grounds for medical bail.

Kejriwal refuted the claims of the Enforcement Directorate by asserting before a court that the food he consumed was in accordance with the diet chart prepared by his doctor. Arvind Kejriwal confirmed that he only uses sugar free in his tea.

Bharadwaj further added that overall, it was a conspiracy to give a slow death to Arvind  Kejriwal so that his multiple organs get damaged and when he comes out of jail after 2-4 months he goes for the treatment of heart, kidney and other organs.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Rahul Gandhi says BJP will not get more than 150 seats in Lok Sabha elections

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said these BJP people are saying that they will secure this many or that many seats and but he wanted to make it clear that BJP will not get more than 150 seats.

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With completion of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections yesterday, the stage is set for the 2nd phase of the Lok Sabha elections, which has lead the political parties to intensify and accelerate campaigning. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too, with his eyes set on the 2nd phase was addressing a public rally at Bihar’s Bhagalpur on Saturday.

Addressing the rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said these BJP people are saying that they will secure this many or that many seats and but he wanted to make it clear that BJP will not get more than 150 seats.

Rahul Gandhi expressed his confidence that the I.N.D.I.A. Bloc will emerge victorious in the Lok Sabha elections. He also stressed on the party’s vision for INDIA once elected to power. Rahul Gandhi said, As soon as the INDIA alliance government comes, they will end the Agniveer scheme. He said India does not need two types of martyrs and added that everyone should get pension.

Gandhi further added that they will change GST and there will be one tax, minimum tax. He also talked about doubling the salary of Asha and Anganwadi workers. Gandhi said they are giving 2 guarantees to the farmers. The Congress party is going to waive off the farmers’ debts, and secondly, they are going to provide a guaranteed minimum support price to the farmers of India.

Congress leader even promised that his government would provide all diploma holders and graduates in India with the right to an apprenticeship. During the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections which are scheduled to be held on April 26, 4 constituencies in Bihar, including, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, and Purnia ,Katihar will go for elections.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says BJP’s 400 paar film has become a super flop on the first day itself

Tejashwi Yadav said the INDIA Bloc had held block wise meetings and the feedback that has come is very good that the BJP’s 400 paar film has flopped on day 1 of the Lok Sabha elections. He said the people of Bihar are aware and will teach BJP a lesson.

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After the first phase of the Lok Sabha election got completed, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that the BJP’s 400 paar film has become a super flop on the first day itself. The RJD leader told that the media that there is no competition in the first phase of the elections as Bihar will give shocking results this time.

Yadav added that the Mahagathbandhan is winning all 4 seats in the first phase. He said the INDIA Bloc had held block wise meetings and the feedback that has come is very good that the BJP’s 400 paar film has flopped on day 1 of the Lok Sabha elections. He said the people of Bihar are aware and will teach BJP a lesson.

Tejashwi Yadav said there is no competition in the first phase. He said the people of Bihar will give shocking results this time. He added the BJP government has not done anything for the people of Bihar. He said the promises made by Modi ji in 2014 and 2019 were not fulfilled. Yadav added the public is tired of BJP’s statements and false promises. He said the opposition has promised that they will give a special package to Bihar along with special status.

Tejashwi Yadav said today the rally is with Rahul Gandhi ji in Bhagalpur. The entire INDIA Bloc and the Mahagathbandhan are working together. The RJD leader pointed out that unemployment is the biggest issue in Bihar. He said other important issues being faced by the people of Bihar are poverty, inflation, investment in the state. He said Migration and floods are also issues which need to be looked at.  He added the people of BJP are very worried. He said the people of BJP say that they will abolish the Constitution. He said those who destroy the Constitution will themselves be destroyed.

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