Kharge calls Diwali 'Eid of joy': BJP hits back, says Congress 'anti-Sanatan'
Synopsis
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's Deepawali greeting — calling the festival the 'Eid of joy' — has ignited a rare cross-party storm. The BJP branded it anti-Sanatan appeasement politics, while AIMIM called it an electoral stunt, leaving Congress fielding fire from both flanks during one of Hinduism's biggest festivals.
Key Takeaways
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge described Diwali as the 'Eid of joy' while extending festive greetings on 8 November 2026 .
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari condemned the remark as 'appeasement and vote-bank politics' and called Congress 'anti-Sanatan.' BJYM national president and Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi made a sharp rhetorical attack, comparing Rahul Gandhi to Mir Jafar.
AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan called the remark a political stunt aimed at electoral gains, saying voters would respond at the ballot box.
The row underscores recurring fault lines over religious language in Indian politics, with assembly elections in several states on the horizon.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sparked a sharp political row on 8 November 2026 after describing Deepawali as the 'Eid of joy' while extending festive greetings to the nation. The remark, made to reporters, quickly went viral and drew fierce condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and even a rebuke from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
What Kharge Said
Addressing reporters during his Diwali greeting, the Indian National Congress (Congress) president called the festival of lights a celebration of peace, harmony, and national brotherhood, emphasising that festivals of every community bring people together. He urged citizens to use the festive period to strengthen unity and dismantle social divisions.
Congress leaders and supporters defended the statement, arguing that Kharge used the word 'Eid' in its broader sense — as a metaphor for joyous celebration — and that his intent was to promote communal harmony and mutual respect across cultural lines.
BJP's Sharp Counterattack
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari condemned the remark as a textbook case of 'appeasement and vote-bank politics,' accusing the Congress leadership of being 'anti-Sanatan' for deliberately linking a Hindu festival with an Islamic one under a common term.
Hemang Joshi, Member of Parliament from Vadodara and national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), also weighed in sharply. He said, 'Kharge-ji, you said that Diwali is an Eid of joy, so is Rahul Gandhi the Mir Jafar of New India?' — a rhetorical barb that rapidly circulated on social media platforms.
AIMIM Calls It a Political Stunt
Criticism was not confined to the ruling party. AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan also took a pointed swipe at Kharge, terming the remarks a political tactic aimed at electoral gains. 'Diwali is a grand festival celebrated with immense enthusiasm by our Hindu brothers, and Eid is equally a celebration shared by all,' Pathan said, adding that 'statements equating the two festivals are nothing more than a political stunt to appease a specific voting community.'
Pathan further asserted that voters have grown increasingly discerning and would deliver a fitting response at the ballot box in upcoming elections.
The Broader Political Context
The controversy is the latest instance of festive-season remarks igniting political warfare — a recurring pattern in Indian politics where the choice of language around religious occasions becomes a flashpoint. Notably, the row has drawn criticism from both the Hindu nationalist right and a Muslim political party, placing Congress in an unusual double bind.
While the Congress maintains that its president was emphasising shared happiness and national cohesion, the BJP has portrayed the remark as an attempt to dilute Deepawali's distinct cultural identity. As the debate continues across social media and political circles, Kharge's greeting has emerged as one of the most discussed statements of this Deepawali season, underscoring how the political temperature remains elevated even during celebrations.
With assembly elections on the horizon in several states, the row over Kharge's phrasing is unlikely to fade quickly.
Point of View
But it handed the BJP a ready-made communal narrative just as Deepawali dominates the news cycle — timing that will raise questions within Congress about message discipline. What is more telling is the AIMIM rebuke: when a Muslim political party also cries electoral opportunism, the 'harmony' framing loses credibility across the spectrum. With multiple state elections approaching, both the BJP and AIMIM have an interest in keeping the row alive, which means Congress will struggle to put it to rest with clarifications alone. The episode illustrates a persistent Congress dilemma — attempts to signal inclusive politics are routinely reframed as appeasement by opponents on both sides of the communal divide.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge say about Diwali?
Kharge called Deepawali the 'Eid of joy' while extending festive greetings on 8 November 2026, describing the festival as a celebration of peace, harmony, and national brotherhood. Congress leaders defended the remark as a metaphor meant to promote communal unity.
Why did the BJP react sharply to Kharge's Diwali remark?
The BJP labelled the remark as 'appeasement and vote-bank politics,' with national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accusing Congress of being 'anti-Sanatan' for linking a Hindu festival with an Islamic term. BJYM president Hemang Joshi also criticised the Congress leadership with a pointed rhetorical comparison.
What was AIMIM's response to Kharge's statement?
AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan called the remark a political stunt aimed at appeasing a specific voting community, saying statements equating Diwali and Eid were electorally motivated. He added that discerning voters would deliver an appropriate verdict in upcoming elections.
How has Congress defended Kharge's use of the word 'Eid'?
Congress leaders argued that 'Eid' was used in its broader sense of a joyous celebration, not as a religious equivalence. They maintained that Kharge's intent was to highlight the shared spirit of happiness across all Indian communities.
Why does this controversy matter politically?
The row reflects recurring fault lines over religious language ahead of assembly elections in several states. Congress faces an unusual double bind, drawing criticism from both the BJP on the right and AIMIM, which complicates its inclusive-politics positioning.
