Congress MP Imran Masood has ignited a sharp political row after equating Diwali with pollution in a remark he framed as an environmental awareness appeal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responding with accusations of anti-Hindu bias and 'appeasement politics' on 10 November 2026 in New Delhi. The controversy centres on Masood's statement: 'Diwali ho ya pradushan jo hai, manav janit rog hai' — roughly translated as 'Whether it is Diwali or pollution, these are human-induced diseases.'

What Masood Said

Responding to criticism, Masood defended his remarks, saying, 'These (BJP) people are mentally disturbed. They only speak negatively. Diwali ho ya pradushan jo hai, manav janit rog hai, and people need to become aware. Whether it is their government or ours, the government will not do much about these issues. People themselves need to become aware.' The Congress MP had reportedly been criticising the BJP for alleging that the Opposition was attempting to build an anti-Hindu narrative by linking the festival of Diwali with pollution.

BJP's Sharp Counter-Attack

BJP National Spokesperson Prem Shukla described Masood's statement as evidence of what he called the Congress's hostility towards Hindu traditions. Shukla said, 'The way Congress leader Imran Masood has described Diwali as a disease proves that the Congress is severely afflicted by the disease of Islamophobia. Such is the religious fanaticism that it considers the festivals of Hindus and Sanatanis a disease. It is necessary to free the country from this disease called Congress.'

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari went further, alleging that the remark reflected a broader 'vote-bank' approach at the highest levels of the Congress party. Bhandari said, 'The people who are suffering from the disease of vote-bank politics, they cannot respect the Sanatan. The words are Imran Masood's, but the thought process of vote bank politics is of the Gandhi-Vadra family. This is why Kharge ji linked Diwali with Eid. This is the same Congress party that called Hindus violent and associated them with terrorism.'

Electoral Stakes Invoked

Bhandari also invoked the electoral calendar, warning that such remarks would cost the Congress in Uttar Pradesh elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He alleged that Masood had earlier supported prayers on public roads — framing both episodes as part of a pattern of minority appeasement. The BJP's decision to rope in two national spokespersons signals the party's intent to amplify the controversy ahead of key state polls.

Context and Broader Pattern

The row is the latest in a recurring cycle of political flashpoints around Diwali, a festival that has increasingly become contested terrain between environmental campaigners and Hindu groups over firecrackers and air quality. Notably, this is not the first time a politician's remarks around the festival have been parsed for communal undertones rather than environmental intent. Critics argue that both sides routinely weaponise such statements for electoral gain rather than engaging seriously with pollution or religious freedom.

As the political temperature rises ahead of upcoming assembly polls, both the Congress and the BJP are expected to escalate their rhetoric around identity and culture in the coming weeks.