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Rahul Gandhi to host Iftar party; Pranab Mukherjee likely to attend, Arvind Kejriwal not invited

Iftar marks the customary breaking of the daylong fast during the holy month of Ramzan.

Rahul Gandhi to host Iftar party; Pranab Mukherjee likely to attend, Arvind Kejriwal not invited

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will on Wednesday hold the Iftar party, after a gap of two years. It will be the Gandhi scion's first Iftar event after taking over the reins of the party. Iftar marks the customary breaking of the daylong fast during the holy month of Ramzan.

 Then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had hosted the last Iftar party in 2015. This year’s event will be keenly watched for the guest list. 

“Iftar will be held at Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi,'' a release from the Congress said.
 
It comes at a time of a renewed push for Opposition unity. However, many leaders of the non-BJP parties are uncomfortable over the Congress leading the charge against the Narendra Modi-led NDA regime in 2019.

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.

Earlier, a controversy had erupted over the Rahul Gandhi's Iftar party with sources claiming that party veteran and former President Pranab Mukherjee and Delhi Chief Minister Rahul Gandhi were not invited.

Sources had told Zee News that former Vice President Hamid Ansari has also not been invited for Rahul Gandhi’s Iftar party, which will be organised at Taj Palace hotel in the national capital. 

Notably, the report of Pranab Mukherjee not being invited for the party came days after the former President attended an event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur. 

The acceptance of RSS invitation by the former President had invited sharp criticism from several corners, including senior leaders of the Congress party.  

However, the party later clarified that Pranab was invited. 

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said Mukherjee was invited by the Congress chief for the event and he has readily accepted the invite.