# BJP slams Kharge for calling Diwali ‘Eid of joy’

2026-11-08T16:06:25+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described Diwali as an 'Eid of joy' on Sunday, 8 November, triggering sharp reactions from the BJP and AIMIM. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Congress of appeasement politics, calling it 'anti-Sanatan' on X. Bhandari also linked Kharge's remark to Sonia Gandhi's recent comments on the Babri Masjid demolition. AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan criticised the statement as a political stunt for electoral gains. Congress leaders defended the remark, saying Kharge intended to highlight communal harmony and the shared spirit of celebration across communities. The exchange has brought competing political interpretations of the festive greeting into focus.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All three outlets report the same sequence: Kharge's greeting, BJP's accusation of appeasement, and AIMIM's criticism. India Today and Deccan Herald also link the row to Sonia Gandhi's Babri Masjid remarks, while Yes Punjab quotes Hemang Joshi's 'Mir Jafar' taunt at Rahul Gandhi. The coverage is uniform wire-style reporting, no outlet frames Kharge's remark as a genuine call for unity or defends it editorially. The story itself is a political exchange, with no next step named beyond the competing statements.

## Coverage

Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
- yespunjab.com (neutral report) <https://yespunjab.com/diwali-is-an-eid-of-joy-mallikarjun-kharge-bjp-reacts-sharply-says-congress-is-anti-sanatan/>
  Straight news report with quotes from both sides
- indiatoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mallikarjun-kharge-diwali-khushiyon-ka-eid-bjp-anti-sanatan-congress-row-3034979-2026-11-08?utm_source=rss>
  News report with BJP and Congress quotes
- deccanherald.com (neutral report) <https://www.deccanherald.com/india/congress-is-anti-sanatan-bjp-slams-mallikarjun-kharges-diwali-khushiyon-ka-eid-remark-4212138>
  Straight news report with BJP quotes and background

This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Update, 8 November 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-11-09T11:19:23+00:00.

Tags: BJP, Diwali, Mallikarjun Kharge, Pradeep Bhandari, Sonia Gandhi, Waris Pathan
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Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bjp-calls-kharge-anti-sanatan-for-diwali-eid-of-joy-remark/#story-in-brief

How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/