BENGALURU: With the festival of Ramzan just over a week away, Congress and JDS leaders are holding iftar parties, de rigueur for political parties in the season of fasting. While Congress leader Siddaramaiah held an iftar for his supporters, KPCC president DK Shivakumar is hosting one on Wednesday. JDS leaders HD Deve Gowda, HD Kumaraswamy and others, too, held iftar meetings a few days ago in Bengaluru, along with party MLC B M Farooq.
The importance of the iftar party has been acknowledged by most parties -- it is held to reassure the electorate of one's secular credentials, and is ideal for political messaging. Especially so now, say leaders, when the social atmosphere has been vitiated by communal issues.
As expected, the Congress iftar parties were not spared from right-wing mockery, with BJP members scoffing at Siddaramaiah and others on social media. "Topi hegide nodi,'' was a comment on Siddaramaiah's Kashmiri Karakul cap on the iftar poster. To which Siddaramaiah said, "Our nation becomes strong when all of us unite, regardless of caste and community. No one should find fault with iftar parties, every one participates in a spirit of brotherhood.''
While the right-wing fringe has raised the narrative to a shrill pitch with the row over hijab and halal meat, presence of Muslim traders in temple premises, and attack on businesses, political analyst Siddaraju recalls that the BJP itself used to once organise Iftar meetings. Insiders recall that then CM BS Yediyurappa used to participate in Iftars.
When contacted, a senior leader from the BJP's Minority Morcha said, off the record, "We too from BJP will be holding a meeting, but after fasting is over, either on the day of Eid or the next day.'' He also clarified that the BJP Karnataka unit had routinely held iftar meetings in the past few years. The RSS, too, has organized Iftars across the nation through the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, to bring Muslims close to Hindus.