New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and leader of opposition Vijender Gupta on Thursday skipped the Iftar party organised by the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal.
Vice President Hamid Ansari was the sole VIP face to have graced the occasion this time around. Ansari stayed at the event, organized by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for about ten minutes. Apart from Jung, Dikshit, representatives from parties such as Trinamool Congress and a number of top diplomats had also attended the annual occasion last year.
The image of Kejriwal, Jung and Dikshit sitting together had received much attention during last year’s Iftar party. Asked about the absence of Jung, Gupta, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia played down their absence from the event this year saying it may have been due to their personal reasons.
“They may have their own reasons but the invitations had reached everyone. I had also spoken to each of them individually,” Sisodia told reporters.
The Iftar party was held in an open ground of Indira Gandhi Stadium which witnessed thousands of people attending the event, perhaps it is biggest iftar party held by the state government. At the iftar party, all AAP leaders including Sanjay Singh, Kumar Viswas, all Cabinet ministers and MLAs were present.
Heavy rains also played a spoilsport disrupting the arrangements made by the city administration. Chairs put up in open ground were lying unused as they were drenched in rains.