00:00Kushioki Eid was the greeting by Malikarjan Khadge, the president of the Congress party
00:05for the Deepavli festival that led to an immediate political showdown.
00:09And then he went on to, of course, add how this is the longest Eid, so to say, when it
00:13comes to the festival of peace and happiness.
00:15But the Congress not only defending Malikarjan Khadge, but are charging at the Bharatiya
00:20Janata party.
00:21The Congress continue to stand by the party president and the Congress counter is, but
00:27Eid is a festival.
00:28The Congress is claiming that the BJP lakhs knowledge about Indian culture, we come from
00:34a diverse culture, says Congress leaders.
00:36We will bring all religions together and Eid simply means the times of festivities.
00:43Listen to Pawan Khaira of the Congress party.
01:20Let's try and understand this further because the BJP has immediately jumped on this.
01:24They've countered it, they've targeted, slammed and saying this is anti-Sanathan dharma
01:29ideology that is being exposed.
01:31I want to now bring in Rahul Gautam who closely tracks the Congress party.
01:34Rahul, I mean at a point like this, to be able to have all that the Congress president had
01:40to do was to give out a Diwali greeting.
01:42Do you think this could turn into a self-goal?
01:44Even though, of course, other leaders like Pawan Khaira are trying to defend and give out
01:47meanings for it.
01:48What do you think is happening as a political showdown here over Eid reference?
01:54Well, Pooja, it wasn't very much an exit line.
01:58Congress will be defending the remarks that have been made by their own national president
02:02and Malika Arjun Kharge coming out and in a way equating Eid and Diwali.
02:09Obviously, this has not gone well with the BJP, but as far as Congress leaders are concerned,
02:13they are saying that Eid merely means festivities or festivals or joyous occasions.
02:20And therefore, in fact, Mr. Pawan Khaira, who is Rajya Sabha MP now, in fact, lashed out
02:27at BJP's spokesperson saying that this only shows the lack of knowledge about the Indian
02:32culture and the fact that Malika Arjun Kharge hails from Deccan region and, you know, Urdu
02:37is very prominent language there.
02:39It is widely used, you know, by common people and therefore he was speaking in his own dialect
02:44or his own words.
02:46So therefore, BJP should not derive any other meanings from it.
02:49In fact, Congress is saying that BJP is trying to divide people on the lines of, you know,
02:55caste and religions.
02:56They are trying to distort the statement that has been given by a party president.
02:59So in a way, you know, it was very much expected that the party is going to throw its way
03:04behind Malika Arjun.
03:06Kharge expect that now with this clarification coming in, with this justification coming in
03:12from, you know, party's spokespersons, the BJP is also going to react.
03:17But one thing is very important here, or very worth underlining, that BJP very much believe
03:24that they have got an apt opportunity to hit out a national president of Congress.
03:27That's the point, Rahul.
03:28I think the BJP literally has got an opportunity served on the platter because, to be honest,
03:35Stephen, I was a little surprised because this is a reference or a greeting that's often
03:38not used when it comes to Shubh Di Pavli or Happy Diwali greetings.
03:42Nevertheless, the Congress party is saying, Eid simply means celebration, Teohar.
03:47And therefore, that is all that Malika Arjun Kharge was saying.
03:50But how has this become a huge controversy?
03:52Appreciate you joining us, Rahul, on that.
