Oppn to firm up Monsoon strategy at Sonia Iftar?

With the ‘who’s who’ of anti-BJP politics expected to be present, considerable significance is being attached to the get-together ahead of the Monsoon Session, which is likely to be the most turbulent for the Narendra Modi government since it took office in May last year.

The Congress has been consistent in its attack on the NDA government over several issues including the Vyapam scam, asking for the resignation of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister <g data-gr-id="47">Vasundhra</g> Raje in the controversy surrounding tainted former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, also demanding for the resignation of human resource development minister Smriti Irani in an alleged fake degree case and finally their constant protest over the proposed new Land Bill. 

“The Congress would be looking forward to <g data-gr-id="44">discuss</g> the views of the invited leaders on these issues and ask them to join forces against the Modi government in Parliament – which currently is in minority in the Rajya Sabha,” said a source.

Significantly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will attend the iftar party on July 13. His confirmation comes in after Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad communicated that he would be skipping the dinner. 

According to reports, Lalu had turned down the dinner invite citing prior engagements. The RJD is also organising a march to the Governor’s residence on the same day to demand that the Centre should release caste census. Meanwhile, Lalu too has organised an iftar party on Monday.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would also not be attending Sonia’s iftar party but she will be sending her representatives. Another opposition leader who will not be attending Sonia’s iftar party is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal but will send some emissary.

An ally of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday said that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s decision not to attend Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s iftar party should not be interpreted by the media as a ‘political fall-out’. “As a matter of fact, today (Sunday) we see that an iftar is clashing between AAP Chief Minister and J&K Chief Minister. Mufti Mohammad Saeed has also kept iftar today. Tomorrow again Sonia ji’s iftar is there. 

But if Lalu ji is not attending Sonia ji’s iftar, so it should be read by media as a political fall-out because there’s a local iftar organised in Bihar where Lalu ji has given priority ,” NCP leader Majid Memon said on Sunday. “Hardly two or three days of <g data-gr-id="38">roza</g> are left and people have to choose, <g data-gr-id="39">its</g> fine. I don’t think <g data-gr-id="36">lot</g> of politics should be attributed to it,” he added.

Among the leaders who have been invited include Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, NCP head Sharad Pawar, The Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Janata Dal (Secular) president HD Deve Gowda, National President of the Indian Union Muslim League E Ahamed, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi, Communist Party of India leader D Raja, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah and TMC leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay.