NEW DELHI, Nov 9: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for describing Diwali as ‘Khushiyon ka Eid’ (Eid of happiness), with party leaders questioning the choice of words and challenging the Congress leadership to describe Eid as ‘Diwali of joy’.
The BJP also accused the opposition party of pursuing appeasement politics and alleged that its approach reflected an anti-Sanatani outlook.
Kharge had made the remark while extending Diwali greetings over the weekend. Speaking to reporters, he described the festival as a major occasion celebrated across India and referred to it as ‘Khushiyon ka Eid’.
Responding to the statement, BJP national media co-in-charge and spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the Congress had brought vote-bank considerations into a religious celebration.
In a post on X, Bhandari referred to earlier controversies involving the Congress and accused the party of remaining silent when Sanatan traditions were allegedly subjected to derogatory remarks.
He also targeted the Gandhi-Vadra family, alleging that the Congress leadership followed a policy that was opposed to Hindu traditions and Sanatan beliefs.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also questioned Kharge’s choice of expression, asking why Diwali, which he described as the biggest festival of Hindus, should not be referred to by its traditional name.
Bhatia maintained that Eid and Diwali have separate religious significance, customs and identities, arguing that both festivals should be respected without changing their distinct cultural associations.
He further challenged Kharge and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to describe Eid as the ‘Diwali of joy’, questioning whether the opposition leaders would use a similar expression for the Muslim festival.
Emphasising the importance of respecting religious traditions, Bhatia said Diwali should retain its established identity and that Hindu festivals should not be described in ways that could dilute their distinct significance.
Another BJP spokesperson, Tuhin Sinha, also joined the criticism, alleging that the Congress frequently used references to Eid while extending greetings on Hindu festivals.
In his social media post, Sinha questioned the party’s approach to religious celebrations and repeated the BJP’s allegations of minority appeasement. He also used the political description ‘Maowadi Muslim League Congress’ while targeting the opposition party, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the Congress.
Bhandari, in a separate post, reiterated that the Congress allegedly prioritised electoral calculations even during religious occasions, claiming that Kharge’s statement reflected the party’s approach towards Hindu traditions.
The controversy has brought renewed political attention to the language used by leaders while acknowledging religious festivals and the broader debate surrounding cultural identity, secularism and political messaging.
While Kharge’s original remark was made in the context of extending festive greetings and highlighting Diwali as a celebration of happiness, BJP leaders interpreted the expression as an attempt to associate a Hindu festival with another religious occasion.
The Congress had not issued a response to the BJP leaders’ criticism in the statements cited.