Congress is anti-Sanatan: BJP targets Kharge over Diwali 'Khushiyon ka Eid' remark

The BJP targeted Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'Khushiyon Ka Eid' Diwali remark. The exchange also revived controversy over Sonia Gandhi's comments on the Babri Masjid demolition.Kharge made the remark while speaking to reporters on the occasion of Diwali. (File photo)New Delhi,Nov 8, 2026 20:38 ISTThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday launched an attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, calling him “anti-Sanatan” after he described Diwali as “Khushiyon Ka Eid”, accusing the Congress of indulging in appeasement politics.Kharge made the remark while speaking to reporters on the occasion of Diwali. Reacting to his comments, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Congress of prioritising vote-bank politics even during the Hindu festival.“Congress President calls Diwali ‘Khushiyon Ka Eid’! Even on Diwali, Congress thinks of appeasement & vote bank! Yesterday Sonia Gandhi cried for Babri, today Mr Kharge appeases in his Diwali message! Congress is Anti-Sanatan!” Bhandari wrote on X.The BJP spokesperson also linked Kharge's remarks to comments made by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi about the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Congress President calls Diwali ‘Khushiyon Ka Eid’! Even on Diwali, Congress thinks of appeasement & vote bank! Yesterday Sonia Gandhi cried for Babri, today Mr Kharge appeases in his Diwali message! Congress is Anti Sanatan! https://t.co/hmd8QlBHGU— Pradeep Bhandari( ) (@pradip103) November 8, 2026 BJP DRAGS SONIA GANDHI'S BABRI REMARKS INTO ROWGandhi's comments came in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian ahead of the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.Recalling the events of December 6, 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished, Gandhi said she had cried after watching the incident unfold on television. She also said the demolition made her realise that India faced a long struggle to preserve its secular foundations. Gandhi further acknowledged that the Congress had been complacent in several ways, contributing partly to the rise of the BJP and its Hindutva politics.Her remarks triggered a political exchange, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of being sympathetic towards Babur and questioning her recollection of watching the demolition on television.SUDHANSHU TRIVEDI QUESTIONS CONGRESS'S STANDReacting to Gandhi's comments, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the Congress of maintaining sympathy towards the Mughal ruler.“This shows that Babar was in the heart of the Congress party back then, and he remains in its heart even today,” Trivedi told reporters in Delhi.The BJP's latest attack on Kharge, meanwhile, has brought the Congress's Diwali greeting and Gandhi's remarks on the Babri Masjid demolition into the same political controversy.- Ends