PM's Eid Milan party flops

The first-ever Eid Milan party organised by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Sunday evening turned out to be a flop as most invitees stayed away.

After cancelling the traditional iftaar party on account of the drought in parts of the country this year, the prime minister decided to throw open the gates of his 7 Race Course Road residence to the nation's Muslims to celebrate Eid Milan.

President A P J Abdul Kalam and Vice-President Bhairov Singh Shekhawat were present, but important Muslim personalities were conspicuous by their absence.

Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmad Bukhari, caretaker and head of the memorial of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri, Syed Kibriya, Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind chairman Maulana Asad Madani, and prominent Shia cleric and All India Muslim Personal Law Board vice-president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq were absent.

Petroleum Minister Ram Naik, however, managed to rope in the two sons of Bohra community chief priest Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin while the chief of Delhi's Nizamuddin memorial made a late entry. The presence of the Syedna's sons assumes significance in view of the Gujarat assembly election. The Bohras have a sizeable presence in the state. A number of diplomats from Muslim countries were also seen, the most prominent being Iraqi Ambassador Salah Al-Mukhtar.

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi could not attend because of their canvassing schedule in Gujarat. Bharatiya Janata Party president M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Sports Minister Uma Bharti, BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley and National Democratic Alliance convener George Fernandes were the other notable absentees.

The two prominent Muslim leaders in the BJP, general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussein were seen while reporters tried to catch up with National Conference president Omar Abdullah and Congress Lok Sabha member from Rampur Begum Noorbano. Rajya Sabha member and film star Shabana Azmi and actress Nafisa Ali also drew attention.