NEW DELHI: Last week Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized an iftar party in the holy month of Ramadan to pray for world peace, secularism, eradication of poverty, and strengthening of democracy in India. Top leadership of the party attended this event, which was also aimed at promoting religious harmony and brotherhood – values that are of late under attack from the Sangh Parivar led by the RSS.
To achieve the aforementioned goals for betterment of humanity, AAP leaders made dua (a form of Islamic prayer) to the almighty. Pictures of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and party spokesperson Ashutosh making a dua went viral on social media, and everyone appreciated the gesture.
However, what also went viral were pictures of party leader Kumar Vishwas not making the dua. Not only that, what upset the party the most is a picture where Vishwas is seen saying a prayer in a style that is followed by the Sangh Parivar supporters.
The picture that has upset the party.
Sources tell Junta Ka Reporter that the party has taken this irresponsible act of Kumar Vishwas very seriously and has served him a show cause notice, asking him to explain his behavior.
“When Arvind Kejriwal was making a dua in correct pose, Vishwas should have simply followed that. He can’t claim that he didn’t know how to make a dua,” a party leader present at the iftar party said on conditions of anonymity.
Some supporters of Kumar Vishwas claim that the poet-turned-politician was just following the Hindu way of prayer and it should not be confused with Sanghi style of prayer. However, experts say that this argument lacks merit.
“There is no Hindu way of prayer as even the Supreme Court has ruled that Hinduism is a way of life, and not a religion. Kumar Vishwas needs to explain his behavior. His pictures are doing damage to the party,” Aashish Khetan, former journalist and currently an AAP leader argued.
Many other experts seem to agree with Khetan’s argument and claim that the true way of prayer is when it’s inclusive and secular. Anything that is not inclusive is Sanghi.
“Remember when Mamata Banerjee government took oath, all the Hindu leaders took oath in the name of ‘ishwar and allah’ while Muslims took oath only in the name of ‘allah’ – that is secularism and inclusiveness. It is worrying if Vishwas can’t have ‘ishwar and allah’ together in his prayers,” Abhay Chaubey, an expert explained.
Kumar Vishwas has often been accused of not being liberal enough by many people who have demanded his ouster from the party so that AAP becomes a truly liberal and secular organization, but sources say that since Vishwas is a childhood friend of Kejriwal, getting him booted out is not easy.
“I think he may claim that he was making a prayer for Kejriwal with closed eyes and folded hands, and that might save him again,” said an AAP worker who doesn’t like Vishwas sarcastically.
