Break from the past

It seems that Congress President Sonia Gandhi is giving her customary iftar party a miss this year. It has been a tradition with the Congress president to host leaders from across the political spectrum for iftar during Ramzan. The ostensible reason for not hosting the iftar this year is that several Opposition leaders such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav are said to be disinclined to attend. The Congress is no longer the force it used to be in national politics. Also, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi - who had visited some temples during his trips to Uttar Pradesh in recent months and had even trekked to Kedarnath - is on a short break.