📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ajay Kumar Koli
Politics
Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Diwali is Eid of Joy' Remark Sparks BJP Fury
✍️ Amar Ujala
🗓 09 Nov 2026, 11:35 AM
👁 14
MP Mallikarjun Kharge described Diwali as an 'Eid of joy', a comment that drew sharp criticism from the BJP and prompted a defense from Rashid Alvi.
MP Mallikarjun Kharge, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, said during a parliamentary session that "Diwali is an Eid of joy", a remark that many interpreted as equating the Hindu festival with the Muslim festival of Eid.
The statement was met with immediate backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused Kharge of blurring religious lines and demanded a formal apology.
In response, Rashid Alvi, the Vice President of the BJP, defended the remark, asserting that it was a gesture of communal harmony rather than a political statement.
The controversy has added to the growing tensions between the Congress and BJP over religious sensitivities, with both parties preparing to address the issue in upcoming party meetings.
The statement was met with immediate backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused Kharge of blurring religious lines and demanded a formal apology.
In response, Rashid Alvi, the Vice President of the BJP, defended the remark, asserting that it was a gesture of communal harmony rather than a political statement.
The controversy has added to the growing tensions between the Congress and BJP over religious sensitivities, with both parties preparing to address the issue in upcoming party meetings.