Overview
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described Diwali as “khushiyon ka Eid” and appealed for peace and unity, a remark he made on November 7 while extending festive greetings.
- The BJP has responded sharply, calling the wording evidence of vote‑bank appeasement and accusing Congress of disrespecting Hindu traditions.
- Congress spokespeople, led by Pawan Khera, defended Kharge by saying ‘Eid’ is commonly used to mean ‘festival’ and that the remark was metaphorical and aimed at unity.
- Regional allies such as the Shiv Sena joined the criticism and BJP leaders have dared Congress leaders to reciprocate by calling Eid a ‘Diwali of joy’, with no retraction or apology from Kharge so far.
- Right‑leaning outlets and BJP statements stress an anti‑appeasement narrative while centrist coverage highlights the semantic defence, and the row signals how festival language may be used in campaign messaging ahead of elections.