If political cues were to be picked up at the Iftar party hosted by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, there were many. The AAP chief welcomed vice-president Hamid Ansari, Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit, leaders of the Trinamool Congress and the Janata Dal (United), but Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung was undoubtedly the show-stopper of the party hosted at the Palika Services Officers Institute in Chanakyapuri.
Jung’s arrival at the canopy, where Kejriwal welcomed his guests, sent photographers into a tizzy. Hundreds of cameras were raised in the air as the two shook hands and hugged each other.
Kejriwal sat flanked by Jung and Dikshit at the time of Iftar and the three broke bread, all smiles. Before Jung passed a basket of food to Kejriwal, the chief minister and Dikshit — his predecessor — were seen engaged in what appeared to be an important conversation.
The Kejriwal-led government in Delhi has been locked in a turf-war with the BJP-led government at the Centre, with the former accusing the latter of interfering in the affairs of the Delhi government through the L-G’s office.
In a television interview, Kejriwal had called Jung “BJP’s agent”. The offices of the CM and the L-G have also sparred over bureaucratic appointments in the capital that had led to the appointment of two home secretaries and two anti-corruption branch (ACB) chiefs. “This is a celebration. Everything between us (the L-G and Delhi government) is good. There is nothing more to understand,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told The Indian Express. The area where the chief minister greeted his VIP guests, though open, was made off-limits for the media and the aam guests. Kejriwal and Sisodia took turns to sit with Ansari and Dikshit. Sisodia accompanied some of the important guests of the evening into the canopy, leading them to Kejriwal. Also present among Kejriwal’s special guests were TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and JD(U) President and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav. All the leaders present said festivals and celebrations are above political equations and refrained from making political comments.