Out of respect for drought victims, Congress cancels 'Iftar' parties

Moving away from its Nehruvian-era practice, Congress top boss Sonia Gandhi has now instructed party cadres and senior leaders to not hold Iftar parties for Muslims in the month of Ramazan. 

The party has instead announced that it would distribute rations among the poor. It is reported that the Congress high command took the decision in the face of back-to-back droughts in the country, which have increased poverty in rural India.

Some opinion makers have speculated that Sonia Gandhi's health could also be the reason. However, according to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the party might have taken the decision in the light that Rahul Gandhi, the Congress vice-president, is out of the country. 

There also speculations that Congress might be feeling isolated and is quite unsure if parties such as Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party will be open to its iftar invites as the alliances for the 2017 UP elections are still unclear. 

The decision from Congress interestingly has come at a time when even RSS, in a bid to shed its 'anti-Muslim' tag has announced its decision to host a grand 'iftar' on July 2 for which it has invited ambassadors of many countries, including Muslim nations like Pakistan, to spread the message of unity and harmony and of making India "riots-free".

RSS reportedly has even has asked its members to hold small iftar parties across the country.