"Eid means festival": Pawan Khera defends Kharge's remarks on Diwali, calls BJP "illiterate, ignorant"

A political row erupted after the "Eid of Happiness" remark for Diwali, as the BJP accused Congress of appeasement politics.

Hitting back at the BJP, Khera said, "Does anybody in the BJP have a dictionary in their house? I am sure they don't. But they have a mobile. Can they Google what Eid means? Eid means 'tyohar', Diwali ka 'tyohar', Holi ka 'tyohar' - that's what he means. But these illiterate, ignorant fools sitting in the government would never understand what it means."

Further, he asked the BJP to prepare for the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's, challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"Before wasting their time on Kharge ji's speech and Congress speech, they should spend half the time tutoring Mr Modi and preparing him for the upcoming debate with Mr Rahul Gandhi, because that's going to be a spectacle. Are they so coward that they won't have a debate with Rahul Gandhi? Then let them say that we are cowards and we can't," he added.

BJP State President Ramchander Rao, however, termed Congress "anti-Hindu."

Ramchander Rao said, "Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders appear to be more obsessed with Islamic culture, Muslim votes and anti-Hindu. That is the reason why, even for Hindu festivals, they have to remember only Eid. This is the way the Congress leaders are now acting, and this is what the Congress leaders are thinking. Their thinking is only vote bank politics. They have the least respect for Sanatan. They have the least respect for Hindu festivals. And they always compare the festivals with the Islamic festivals... Mallikarjun Kharge's comparison of Diwali with Eid is something; Muslim obsession of the Congress."

While extending Diwali greetings on November 7, Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters, "I extend my best wishes to everyone for Diwali. Many people celebrate it as it is an Eid of Happiness... On this festive occasion, I would like to convey my greetings to all my fellow countrymen. I also have a special appeal: it is essential to maintain peace in the nation. I urge those who may be in conflict or harbouring misunderstandings with one another to set these differences aside. Let us all work wholeheartedly to protect our country and foster national unity." (ANI)