Bhubaneswar: It was a break from the political brick-batting over blame-game. Political leaders, from various parties, chose to create a bond of love and faith with their colleagues—be it from the same camp or a different party—on Rakhi.
Here’s how political leaders celebrated Rakhi this year:
- Telangana ministers Danasari Seethakka and Konda Surekha tied rakhis to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in a public display aimed at easing internal party friction
- Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (BJP) – Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP): On Raksha Bandhan today, NCBC chairperson and BJP leader Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti tied a rakhi to former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, calling him her brother. She also tied a rakhi to BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi. The occasion was framed around the brother-sister bond, affection and social harmony.
- Narendra Modi (BJP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Raksha Bandhan at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg with schoolgirls, who tied rakhis to him.
- Rajnath Singh (BJP): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh marked Raksha Bandhan with NCC cadets, making it another example of a political leader turning the festival into a public interaction rather than just a family celebration.
- Mohan Yadav (BJP): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav celebrated Raksha Bandhan with women associated with the Brahma Kumaris, who tied rakhis to him.
- Nayab Singh Saini (BJP): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini celebrated the festival with schoolgirls at Sant Kabir Kutir in Chandigarh.
- Rahul Gandhi: On the Congress side, Rahul Gandhi extended greetings to the country by sharing a Congress rally picture of him and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on X. “Heartfelt Raksha Bandhan wishes to all fellow citizens. May this unbreakable bond between brother and sister, tied by threads of affection, grow even stronger with love and trust,” he wrote on X. However, an unverified video on X is doing the rounds on social media showing that Priyanka Gandhi, dressed in black, was tying a black band on Rahul Gandhi’s arms. However, OdishaBytes couldn’t verify the authenticity of the video independently.
- Jharkhand Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Co-operatives Minister Shilpi Neha Tirki tied a rakhi to Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar
- Supriya Sule wished Ajit Pawar, her cousin and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister who died in a plane crash in January. Seven months after the horrific tragedy, Supriya Sule says “even today, I can’t bring myself to believe it”. “Today is Raksha Bandhan… but this time, you’re not with us, and this realisation is making my heart deeply restless. That horrific morning seven months ago and your sudden departure… even today, I can’t bring myself to believe it,” she posted on X.
- Mother of RG Kar Rape victim, who is now a BJP MLA, tied rakhi to West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.
- Former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tied Rakhi and promised assistance to 10 hawker families allegedly harassed and evicted by the BJP.