A Diwali greeting from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has turned into the sharpest political row of the week, with the BJP accusing the Congress of insulting Hindu sentiments and playing vote bank politics ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Kharge had wished the country on Diwali on Saturday, November 7, while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru. In his greeting, he described the festival as an “Eid of happiness”, a phrase that has now set off a full blown exchange between the two parties.
What Kharge actually said
Kharge was speaking to reporters ahead of Diwali when he extended his greetings to the country. “I extend my best wishes to everyone for Diwali. Many people celebrate it as it is an Eid of happiness. This is the Eid which goes on for a long time. This is a festival of joy,” he said.
He went on to make a wider appeal for calm, urging people to set aside differences and work together to protect the country and foster national unity.
The Congress president also used the interaction to take on the BJP leadership. Responding to a reported statement by BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Rahul Gandhi, Kharge said it was clear that such rhetoric was being prompted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He added that PM Modi avoids facing Rahul Gandhi directly, even though the Congress leader has challenged him to a debate on issues such as the NEET examination, unemployment and inflation.
How the BJP hit back
The BJP response came in waves through Monday, November 9, with several spokespersons and ministers joining in. Union Minister Giriraj Singh was among the sharpest, calling Kharge a “mouthpiece of the Gandhi family” and accusing the Congress of appeasing a minority community.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Congress of being “anti-Sanatan” and “anti-Hindu”, and linked the remark directly to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for 2027. “Even on Diwali, Congress chose vote bank politics. Congress President called Deepawali an Eid of Happiness,” Bhandari said in a video message posted on X.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned why Kharge had a problem calling Diwali by its real name. He said Eid has its own significance while Diwali has its own sanctity, traditions and identity, and challenged Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to show equal courage by calling Eid a “Diwali of joy”.
Another BJP spokesperson, CR Kesavan, called Kharge’s Diwali message “twisted” and accused the Congress of hurting Hindu sentiments for political advantage. Tuhin Sinha added that Muslims celebrate Eid only twice a year, while the Congress, in his words, wants to celebrate every Hindu festival as an Eid ten to twelve times a year.
Why the BJP sees an election angle
The timing of the row matters. Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls in 2027, and the BJP has repeatedly framed the Congress as a party that puts minority appeasement above Hindu identity. Bhandari made that link explicit, calling the remark “pure vote bank politics ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections”.
The BJP has also used the episode to reopen older arguments, from the Congress’s stand on the Ram temple consecration to DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatan Dharma, which the BJP says the Congress never condemned. The party’s line is that this is not a one off slip of the tongue but part of a pattern.
How the Congress is defending Kharge
Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi defended the party president on Monday, saying Eid is commonly used as a metaphor for happiness in Indian culture, similar to traditional idioms about meeting someone after a long time. He said Kharge’s statement reflects a secular mindset, and added that such inclusive sentiments cannot be expected from communal minded individuals or the BJP.
Alvi also pointed out that while both Eid and Diwali are festivals of celebration and joy, Eid celebrations do not lead to a rise in the Air Quality Index, a reference to the pollution spike that follows Diwali firecrackers in Delhi and other cities.
What happens next
Rows over festival greetings rarely end quickly in Indian politics, and this one has all the ingredients to run for a few more days. The BJP will keep raising it in its campaign messaging in Uttar Pradesh, while the Congress will insist the remark was about harmony. What began as a Diwali wish on Saturday has, by Monday, become one of the defining political arguments of the week.
FAQs
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about Diwali?
While extending Diwali greetings to reporters on November 7, Kharge described the festival as an “Eid of happiness” and appealed for peace and national unity.
Why is the BJP objecting to the remark?
The BJP says calling Diwali an Eid dilutes the identity of a Hindu festival and amounts to minority appeasement and vote bank politics. Leaders including Giriraj Singh, Pradeep Bhandari and Gaurav Bhatia have attacked the Congress over it.
How has the Congress responded?
Congress leader Rashid Alvi defended Kharge, saying Eid is commonly used as a metaphor for happiness in Indian culture and that the remark reflected a secular mindset.
What is the link to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections?
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari directly linked the remark to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, calling it “pure vote bank politics” ahead of the polls.
