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New Delhi, November 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's description of Diwali as an “Eid of joy” has triggered a political controversy, with the BJP accusing the Congress of appeasement politics and AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also criticizing the remark.
While extending Diwali greetings, Kharge described the festival as one of happiness and called it an “Eid of joy”. He said the festival of lights symbolized peace, harmony and national brotherhood, and urged people to use the occasion to strengthen unity and overcome social divisions.
Congress leaders and supporters defended the statement, arguing that Kharge intended to highlight the shared spirit of celebration across communities and promote communal harmony.
The BJP strongly objected to the choice of words. Party national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari and other leaders accused the Congress leadership of indulging in appeasement and vote-bank politics. Bhandari described the remark as evidence of what he called the Congress's “anti-Sanatan” approach.
Vadodara MP and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national president Hemang Joshi also took a swipe at Kharge, asking: “Kharge-ji, you said that Diwali is an 'Eid of joy', so is Rahul Gandhi the Mir Jafar of 'New India'?”
AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan joined the criticism, describing the remark as a political stunt 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. He argued that equating the two festivals was an attempt to appease a particular voting community and claimed that voters would respond appropriately in the coming elections.
The exchange has brought competing political interpretations of Kharge's festive greeting into focus, with the Congress defending it as a message of unity and its critics portraying it as an attempt to blur the distinct identity of Diwali.