AIAA President Maulana Sajid Rashidi criticized both the BJP and Congress, accusing them of using Diwali and Eid as political tools to polarize voters and consolidate their respective vote banks amid rising religious and cultural discourse.
AIAA President Criticises Political Parties
All India Imam Association (AIAA) President Maulana Sajid Rashidi claimed that both the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued "carefully worded statements" solely to consolidate their respective vote banks. Speaking to ANI, AIAA President Rashidi criticised both Kharge and Trivedi for politicising religious festivals.
He criticised Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge of using the Diwali-Eid statement to garner Muslim votes. He further took a swipe at the BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, alleging that he has also remarked that "Eid has no place in Indian society." Rashidi asserted that Trivedi's alleged statement was aimed at polarising Hindu voters.
Rashidi Questions The Rhetoric
"Both sides are making carefully worded statements to woo their respective vote banks. The point is that Mallikarjun Kharge has spent his life in politics. There was no reason for him to mention Eid alongside Diwali. He used Eid to woo Muslim votes. Now Sudhanshu Trivedi has said that Eid has no place in Indian civilisation or Indian society, to woo Hindu votes. Since before independence, our Hindu brothers have also called our Eid 'Eid'. If it has some other name in Hindu society, tell us. Although Eid is an Arabic word, does that mean this culture is not ours, that it is not part of Muslim culture or Indian culture?" he questioned.
BJP's Response to Congress
Earlier on Wednesday, Trivedi questioned Kharge's choice of words, referring to his November 7 festive greeting in which he described Diwali as “Khushiyon Ki Eid”. He alleged that the remark reflected a disregard for India's religious and cultural traditions. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Diwali has just passed, and today is the occasion of Bhai Dooj. While the country is moving towards new heights of development, politics appears to be sinking to new lows.”
Trivedi alleged that the opposition's comments reflected contempt for India's traditions, religion and culture. He further questioned Kharge's use of the word “Eid”, pointing out that the Congress president hails from Karnataka, where festivals are commonly referred to as “Utsav” or “Habba” in Kannada.
The Origin of the Row
The row erupted with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks while extending Diwali greetings on November 7. 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)
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