NEW DELHI: Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has ignited a political storm with his controversial comments targeting Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, and his wife, Amruta. The remarks, made during a rally in Nagpur on Wednesday, have drawn sharp condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kanhaiya, while addressing the crowd, took aim at Fadnavis’ recent comments referring to the upcoming elections as a “Dharamyudh”, suggesting that the protection of religion should be a collective effort. He said that the job of “saving religion” should not be reduced to political rhetoric while the Deputy CM’s wife engages in “making Instagram reels.”
“Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that this is a ‘Dharamyudh’. This is a good thing. It is our Dharam to protect the democracy and the constitution for which I am standing and giving a speech today. Whichever leader talks about saving religion, you have to ask only one thing to that leader who is giving you speech about saving religion that will your son or daughter join us in this fight to save religion?” he questioned.
“Will this happen that the responsibility of saving the religion will be ours and your children will study in Oxford Cambridge universities. If we want to save religion, let us save it together. It can’t be like we save religion and the deputy chief minister’s wife makes reels on Instagram. It can’t be like that. Everyone will save the religion together,” Kanhaiya added.
The remarks were a direct response to Fadnavis’ recent statement during his campaign for Mahayuti candidates, where he had called for a “Dharma-Yuddha” to counter what he described as “vote-jihad” in the state.
BJP condemns Kanhaiya’s remarks
The BJP was quick to condemn Kanhaiya Kumar’s comments, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla leading the charge. Poonawalla labelled Kanhaiya as a “Naxali Afzal Guru supporter” and accused him of disrespecting Marathi women by targeting Amruta Fadnavis.
“How dare you insult a daughter of Maharashtra, Kanhaiya Kumar? Your words are an insult to every Marathi woman,” Poonawalla wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Amruta Fadnavis is a proud daughter of Maharashtra, and those who use such derogatory language will face the consequences from the people of Maharashtra.”
Poonawalla’s statement referred to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant’s statement who in late October faced backlash for calling Shiv Sena candidate Shaina NC “imported maal” during the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign. In his defence, Sawant denied mentioning Shaina’s name, clarifying, “I only said that someone who is an outsider will not be able to work here.” He emphasised respect for Shaina, calling her a friend.
The Maharashtra assembly elections are set for November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23. In the 2019 state elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 56, and Congress claimed 44 seats, out of 288. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the MVA coalition saw a strong showing, winning 30 of the 48 available seats, while the Mahayuti could only secure 17.