Solidarity with Anna: Yashwant, Naqvi, Varun boycott PM's Iftar

Expressing solidarity with fasting Anna Hazare, BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Varun Gandhi today stayed away from the "iftar" hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Expressing solidarity with fasting Anna Hazare, BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Varun Gandhi on Wednesday stayed away from the "iftar" hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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Even as the Prime Minister's "Iftar" party was attended by leaders of a number of political parties, including from BJP, Sinha, Naqvi and Gandhi decided not to attaend it, as Hazare was still continuing his fast on the Lokpal issue.

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha had earlier offered to resign as Member of Parliament after he charged the BJP with not taking up the issue of corruption seriously enough. Sinha said that the BJP had been unable to take a strong stand on the Lokpal issue which was necessary to "take the battle forward" against corruption.

Varun on Wednesday sat with protesters at Ramlila Maidan where the Gandhian is on a fast.