For second year, PM Modi skips President’s iftar

Prime Minister gave a miss to the star-studded Iftar at Rashtrapati Bhavan a second time.

Prime Minister gave a miss to the star-studded Iftar at Rashtrapati Bhavan a second time. The PM couldn’t attend the event hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday due to his official engagements.

Only three NDA ministers - Arun Jatiley, Najma Heptullah and Rajnath Singh – attended the Iftar at Rashtrapati Bhavan where Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Hamid Ansari, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were present.

Sonia Gandhi spent most of her time with party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge. Kejriwal was busy chatting with Trinamool’s Derek O’Brian. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav were huddled in a corner. J&K chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and NC chief Omar Abdullah were present.

On Wednesday evening, Modi had a meeting with chief ministers of the northeastern states where he laid down the road map of massive infrastructure creation. “The Centre will spend Rs 35,000 crore to develop the Trans-Arunachal Highway and for connecting all district headquarters by a two-lane highway,” said a PMO release.

The PM also met Myanmar foreign minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, first time after the Indian Army’s crack down on milit-ants in the Myanmar side of the border.