Kanwar Yatra is happening this year with full enthusiasm after a gap of two years. Owning to Covid-19, Kanwar Yatra was suspended by the authorities to ensure the virus was contained. However, this year’s situation is under control, and Shiv Bhakts walked hundreds of miles to collect water from the River Ganga to do Jal Abhishek of Bhagwan Shiv at one of the Jyotirlingams.
The state administrations in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are equally enthusiastic about the festival, and the UP government showered rose petals on Kanwariyas too. Police officials happily participated in the grand festival to celebrate the God of destruction, Bhagwan Shiv.
However, the sight of the state government facilitating the Kanwar Yatra did not go well with the liberal section as they criticized the government for “spending money on rose petals”. Left-leaning ‘liberals’, including Barkha Dutt, Anusha Sood, Assadudin Owaisi and many others objected to the use of state machinery or government funds to shower rose petals on the pilgrims.
AIMIM leader Assasudin Owaisi is visibly angry over the idea of showing flowers on Kanwariyas. Alleging discrimination against Muslims, he said, “You are using tax payers money for showering flowers on Kanwariyas. POlice officers are massaging their feet. If someone offers namaz for few minutes public policy is getting disturbed. I want to tell BJP to practice equality among all communities. If it is ‘sabka sath sabka vikas’ why we are not showered with flowered but out houses are demolished using buldozers.”
अगर कोई चंद मिनट के लिए नमाज़ पढ़ता है तो पब्लिक पॉलिसी डिस्टर्ब हो रही है। मैं भाजपा से कहता हूं कि आप सबके साथ समान व्यवहार करें भेदभाव ना करें। अगर सबका साथ सबका विकास है तो हम पर फूल नहीं चढ़ाते हमारे घरों पर बूलडोजर चढ़ा देते हैं: AIMIM प्रमुख असदुद्दीन ओवैसी, दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/Dh4y1Pndxm
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) July 27, 2022
Interestingly, these liberals never raised a question when crores of rupees were spent on Haj subsidy or when leaders, political parties and even Rashtrapati Bhawan organized iftar parties. There have been countless visuals and reports of these leaders attending and enjoying iftar parties for decades, but no one dared to say a single word against the practice. Police officers taking ‘chaddar’ to Mazar or serving food in iftar parties do not draw ire from the liberals.
First, let’s talk about the famous “journalist” Barkha Dutt. In a tweet, she wrote, “How is it ok for state officials to shower petals on Kanwariyas but object to namaz in public spaces? I am not a fan of religion spilling over onto shared common public spaces, but this is brazenly partisan.”
Now, if you go back 13 years, Barkha Dutt had informed his followers on Twitter that she had attended the iftar party by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In September 2019, she wrote, “Quiet day. Friday, Saturday non anchoring days for me. Attended PM iftar, where was told that the China story exaggerated vastly by media.”
There is photographic and videographic evidence of leaders and political parties holding iftars with large gatherings. In 2018, then-Congress President Rahul Gandhi hosted an iftar party. It was held at Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi. In 2015, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh organized an iftar party that was attended by several leaders and celebrities, including Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Javed Akhtar, and Shabana Azmi, then-High Commissioner to Pakistan Salman Bashir, LK Advani, Sheila Dixit, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and others.
In June 2016, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended an iftar party.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended Iftar party in Delhi today. pic.twitter.com/viUeHqf02M
— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2016
In the same month, the Samajwadi Party chief and former CM of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav also attended the iftar party at 5, Kalidas.
Iftar party at 5 Kalidas. pic.twitter.com/mQHO3w2uiA
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 26, 2016
Congress party organized iftar after a gap of three years at that time. The party was attended by the likes of Sonia Gandhi, former President Pranab Mukherjee, former President Pratibha Patil, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Vice President Hamid Ansari, Sitaram Yechury, Satish Chandra Misra, Dinesh Trivedi, Kanimozhi, Sharad Yadav, Danish Ali, Hemant Soren, DP Tripathy, Manoj Jha, Badruddin Ajman, Mehrajuddin and others.
#iftar hosted by Congress President @RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/iCFZ8A0ko6
— Dr. Manmohan Singh (@_ManmohanSingh) June 13, 2018
Notably, Congress’s decision to organize iftar came at a time when then-President of India Ram Nath Kovind had decided to go away with all religious functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, including Diwali, Christmas and, of course, iftar. Before former President Kovind, former President APJ Abdul Kalam also stopped the tradition of celebrating iftar at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Before former President Kovind took charge, former President Pranab Mukherjee had organized an iftar party marking it as the last iftar at the President’s house.
#PresidentMukherjee hosted an Iftar Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan today pic.twitter.com/XmB3IC3i5k
— President Mukherjee (@POI13) June 23, 2017
In 2019, Trinamool Congress chief and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee attended an iftar party organized by the Municipal Corporation of Kolkata. Notably, she attended that particular party days after terming Hindus chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in her state as criminals. Announcing about going for iftar, Banerjee had said, “I appease Muslims, no? I will go there a hundred times. If a cow gives milk, one has to be prepared for its kicks also.”
Today, like previous years, I took part in Iftar organised by Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 3, 2019
People from all communities and all walks of life were present.
My prayers for unity, peace, prosperity and happiness for all.
Some pictures of today’s occasion pic.twitter.com/Kxg4RGvMzX
Akhilesh Yadav also attended an iftar party in April this year. He shared photographs of the event and wrote “Roza, iftar” on his Twitter account. He had attended multiple iftar parties during that month.
रोज़ा इफ़्तार। pic.twitter.com/O7pQ6gLif4
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 29, 2022
In April 2022, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar attended the iftar organized by Lalu Prasad’s RJD. In return, RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav attended an iftar organized by Nitish Kumar.
Not only leaders, but there have also been several instances where Police were seen attending iftar parties. In May this year, video has emerged from Maharashtra where Police officers served food to iftar party attendees including chindren.
Kanwar Yatra generating revenue for local vendors
After the controversy of government money being spent on Kanwariyas erupted, OpIndia met Police officers, Kanwariyas and shopkeepers who have shops on the Yatra route. It was revealed that Kanwariya Yatra had generated business worth crores for the shopkeepers. The flowers used for showering were bought from poor flower sellers. Fruit sellers earned good money as those who served fruits to Kanwariyas brought them from local vendors. From juice sellers to tea vendors, food stalls to small-scale cloth shops, everyone earned because of the Yatra.
