New Delhi: President Pranam Mukherjee on Friday evening hosted an Iftar reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended among others by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Union Ministers, including Arun Jaitley.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conspicuous by his absence. This is the third consecutive year, since he assumed office, Modi skipped the Iftar party thrown by the President to mark the festivities of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramazan.
Sources said that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is gearing up to greet Muslims on Eid in a novel way, adding that he had a busy schedule as he was to be briefed about internal security situation by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and others.
The President, on the occasion, conveyed Ramzan greetings to all on the occasion and urged everyone "to spread love, affection and mutual trust during this holy month," an official statement said.
Mukherjee also expressed the hope that the spirit of Ramzan will instil in every Indian a sense of unity and pride in the composite culture of India.
Dignitaries who attended the Iftar also Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal besides Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sitaram Yechuri and Sheila Dixit and heads of diplomatic missions and senior officials and religious public leaders, the official release said.
