Kharge’s anti-Mahakumbh remark: Congress digs deep in ‘new’ Muslim League pitfall

Mallikarjun Kharge has once again shot in the foot of the grand old party. He has given Congress a political hot potato, especially at a time when Hindus are partaking in their largest religious gathering. After winning 99 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress party has been acting buoyant but it has long forgotten the bitter pill that was once recommended by its stalwart, AK Antony.

Notably, after its ignominious defeat in 2014, the former Union Minister Antony had warned Congress that it should correct its public image which by then had been built as that of a Muslim appeasing party. Yet, a decade down the line, under Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the party is doing everything to the contrary. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Kharge have been constantly deriding Hinduism.

Over the years, a few Congress leaders have gone to the extent of calling Eradication of the Sanatan Dharma itself. While Gandhi has been advocating to fight with ‘Shakti’, painting Hindus as a violent community, Kharge too has been fueling fire to give away Congress as an anti-Hindu party. However, his recent remark to mock Amrit Snan in the Mahakumbh 2025, could end up acting as the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Now, as per the latest development, Kinnar Akhara’s Mahamandaleshwar Kaushalyanand Giri have submitted a complaint to the Prayagraj Police. She has urged the Police to file an FIR against the Congress President for “hurting the religious sentiments of Sanatanis”, Hindus. In her complaint letter, Mahamandaleshwar Giri also advocated for arresting Kharge for demeaning the glory and dignity of Maa Ganga.

The religious seer has also advised Gandhi scion, Rahul to take stern action against the party president for the anti-Hindu remarks. She emphasised that otherwise it will further intensify public anger against the grand old party.

Her complaint states, “Dear @prayagrag_pol, the leader @kharge of (@INCIndia) who has hurt the faith and religious sentiments of crores of Sanatanis like me by questioning the glory and dignity of Maa Ganga should be immediately booked and put in jail. @RahulGandhi Delay in action will increase public anger @Uppolice.. @dgpup..”

Mallikarjun Kharge aggravates Congress’ anti-Hindu misery 

On Monday (27th January 2025), Congress President Kharge addressed the party’s Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhaan rally in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. During the event, he stirred a fresh controversy when he mocked devotees’ taking snan (holy dips) in the holy triveni of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. And by extension, Kharge also insulted Hinduism, its philosophy of Karma, cleansing soul among others. 

Attacking the belief system of Hindus, Kharge mockingly said, “Will poverty be eradicated by taking a dip in the Ganga, will your stomach get food?” It was a loaded statement, phrased in such a way that it reeked abject contempt to the Hindu belief system. 

Exploitation in the name of religion: Kharge

After raising questions on the biggest confluence of Hindus, Kharge did not stop there either. He brazened it out saying, “When children are dying of hunger, labourers are not getting wages, these people are competing and taking dips.”

Now in an attempt to corner their ideological rivals and BJP leaders, the Congress leader went ahead and insulted Hindu devotees taking Amrit snan in Mahakumbh. The Congress leader added that until they get a good photo for TV, these people keep taking dips, insulting the large gathering of Pujaniye Sadhus, Naga Sadhus, Kalwasis and lakhs and crores of Hindu devotees. It is important to note here that while politics plays its role in every activity in India, the Mahakumbh is too vast to be trivialised, mocked in the garb of short-sighted political blame game, shadow boxing or political mudslinging.

Even in a liberal approach, the Congress president’s choice of words were a dead give away that it was not a statement to corner the politicians, rather it was a brazen attack on the belief system of the Hindus, their faith and importance of holy rivers in Hinduism.

During his statement, Kharge even said that the poor are being exploited in the name of religion.

‘Congress has become Muslim League’, BJP hits back

BJP has reacted strongly to Kharge’s anti-Mahakumbh remarks, intensifying its’ ‘new Muslim league’ jibe. Taking to X, BJP Social media head, Amit Malviya dubbed Congress as the New Muslim League, adding that the Congress party is becoming a nuisance for the country and its extinction is in everyone’s interest.

Shattering anti-Hindu narratives bit by bit 

Keeping aside the political flurry of allegations and counter-allegations, Congress leaders have been acting increasingly rattled and desperate after every electoral defeat. 

With every setback, they are only intensifying their overt hatred and their hatred for Narendra Modi is fast transcending into hatred for Hindus and hatred for India. The party that once tried its hand at Soft–Hindutva, is now going to an extreme of saying that their fight is against Shakti ascribed in Hinduism, that their fight is against the Indian state itself, it speaks volume how shrill their electoral pitch has become and where the Hindus and their faith stand in their larger political game. 

On one hand, the Congress leaders and their allies keep on citing noble virtues, freedom of religion, speech, expression and what not to give moral shield and whitewash Islamist crimes. For them, the dramatics of Christian missionaries publicly engaging in proselytisation activities or outright criminal activities like Halala, imposition of Hijab, child marriage, female mutilation in few sects etc is alright, Christian chappels, Hajj pilgrimage etc is economically rewarding but Hindus exercising their constitutional right to profess their religion evokes the rational part of their mind. 

Also Read: This Week in Focus: Ishwar Allah Controversy – Tale of Divided Movements, Forgotten Realities

For Abrahamic faith, their rational, rather subservient mind finds faith and science complementary and not pit one against another. But in case of Hindus, visiting Mandirs, taking a dip in Holy Ganga, rituals, sacrificial offerings in temples, Hindu resurgence ect becomes bad, economically unrewarding as it is obliquely pitted against Science. The nuanced positions of Hinduism are cherry picked and they try to build a mountain out of molehill. As far as the baseless opposition of Hindu belief system is concerned, the Sanatan Dharma encompasses and looks after all four key aspects of life – Dharma, Arth, Kama, Moksh.

Incidentally, Maha Kumbh is not only changing the lives of people but also giving impetus to the economy. More than Rs 4 lakh crore of business is estimated to take place in this Maha Kumbh and it is expected to increase both nominal and real GDP by more than 1%.

According to Avnish Awasthi, advisor to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government will invest about Rs 16,000 crore in this fair and in return the government expects to earn Rs 50,000 crore from GST alone. Also, the total revenue of the government from Maha Kumbh can be more than Rs 1 lakh crore, including income tax and other indirect taxes.

Maha Kumbh 2025 will provide employment to more than 45,000 families directly or indirectly. Maha Kumbh 2025 is expected to create an estimated 12 lakh gig and temporary jobs which will benefit more than 8 lakh workers from various sectors.

Contrary to the shrill rhetoric of ill-informed politicians, the Hindu mandirs have been the sprawling centre of economics, thriving culture, education as well. It has always been the centre of civilisational economy, the reason for which they were constantly attacked by alien civilisations or cults. And yes, the temples had been, are, and will continue to feed hungry and needy, they will continue to give a major filip to health and educational infrastructure within their outreach and continue to enrich Hindus, and others who seek their well-being not just materialistic as well as spiritual wealth. 

As for the derogatory accusation labeling Hindu devotees as sinners for bathing in the Triveni Sangam, it will be a bitter pill for seasonal Hindus and non-Hindu politicians to swallow. Understanding devotion, the karmic cycle, acceptance, the power of good deeds to override past sins, cleansing, and renunciation of the material world, among other spiritual concepts, may be beyond their grasp. However, it is beyond the author’s expertise to delve deeply into matters of spiritual and religious significance concerning fellow Hindus, just as politicians should refrain from commenting on issues they clearly lack knowledge of.