Cong bats for charity over iftar dinner

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has no plans to host iftar during the ongoing Ramzan month, a much watched event in the capital’s political circles.

The Congress instead plans to distribute Ramzan kits among under-privileged Muslims in slums dotting New Delhi.

On the other hand, the RSS-affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch has drawn up elaborate plans to host a grand iftar party on Saturday and has sent invitations to ambassadors of Islamic nations and prominent citizens.

The Manch, formed in 2002 at the behest of the RSS, has also asked its members to host iftar gatherings on a smaller scale and invite people from all communities to spread the message of “unity and harmony”.

Congress leaders cited the back-to-back droughts and rural distress as the reason to drop plans of hosting iftar dinner.

“We will distribute Ramzan kits among the poor. We are in the process of identifying areas for this purpose,” a senior Congress leader said.

Another reason could be the non-availability of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a short vacation in a foreign country.

The Congress president’s iftar dinners have been the most watched events in Delhi’s political circles.