Congress defends Mallikarjun Kharge over Deepavali being called Eid of happiness
Home Minister Priyank Kharge says the expression is a common regional usage in Karnataka amid BJP allegations of minority appeasement.
The Congress party defended AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday after he described Deepavali as an “Eid of happiness” while extending greetings on November 7. According to The New Indian Express, the remark has led to political criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress president of minority appeasement.
Defending his father, Karnataka Home and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said “Khushiyon ka Eid” is a common terminology used across Kalyana Karnataka. He stated that the expression means a festival of happiness and noted that regional dialects often mix Kannada with Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil.
BJP spokesperson Ashwathnarayana Gowda questioned if the Congress president knew the difference between Deepavali and Eid Milad. He alleged that the remark was an attempt at minority appeasement. Similarly, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asked why the identity of the Hindu festival was being changed, stating that Diwali has its own sanctity.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also criticised Kharge, calling him a “mouthpiece” of the Gandhi family and accusing the Congress of trying to divide Hindus to appease Muslims. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari further termed the Congress an “anti-Hindu” party, suggesting the remark was part of vote-bank politics ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections.
Responding to the criticism, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said those making an issue of the statement are semantically ignorant, noting that the word “Eid” literally means festival. Congress leader Rashid Alvi added that Eid is often used as a metaphor for joy.
BJP State President BY Vijayendra also criticised Priyank Kharge, alleging the minister was busy spreading fake narratives in Kerala instead of addressing law-and-order concerns in Karnataka.