The new prime minister Narendra Modi has neither hosted an Iftaar party, nor has he attended one himself. He even did not attend the Iftaar party at President Pranab Mukherjee's residence last week. However former union minister Shahnawaz Hussain has been hosting Iftaar parties for 15 years now, which he refrained from doing this year as reported by Indian Express. The minister started hosting Iftaar parties on the request of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 15 years back, but clarified he stopped it as it was not a compulsion anymore. He has however planned for an Eid celebration.
Many could be reading the Hindutva ideology of the BJP into this. It is undeniable that Hussain's parties were a political call, and stopping them this year is also a political decision. But there is much to be gained from this.
BJP has always said that it doesn't believe in the politics of appeasement. Thus the party can at least claim that it is not using Iftaar parties as political tool to woo the Muslim vote bank. Religion being a personal matter need not be politicised. Of course, the parties in power do not celebrate all festivals of all religions, like Christmas or Buddha Purnima or Guru Nanak Jayanti. So why should they feel the compulsion to celebrate Eid?
Some would argue that religion should have no role in politics and to prove his credentials of secularism Modi or his colleagues shouldn't celebrate Diwali or Holi also. But that too is a freedom that any individual should be entitled too. If Modi decides to celebrate Janmashtami and invites his colleagues to join him, one cannot be unnecessarily harsh on him.
But the problem lies elsewhere. It is not like Hussain had always been a minister for past 15 years, and his logic that since he is no more a minister, there is no political compulsion to hold the party actually does more harm to the party. It should be remembered that Hussain lost in general elections despite NDA doing very well in Bihar. Doing away with the celebration this year probably implies that his "compulsion" has probably changed. One can only speculate why he felt the need to change his "compulsion"..
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}