In a controversial rally ahead of the Maharashtra election, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar took a swipe at the state's deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of fueling divisive narratives like "vote jihad" to consolidate Hindu votes. Kanhaiya Kumar questioned the BJP leader’s motives and highlighted the disparity between politicians’ calls for public religious fervor and the personal lives of their families.
However, it was Kumar's comments about Fadnavis's wife, Amruta that set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. "How can the public be asked to save religion while Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis's wife, Amruta Fadnavis, is busy making Instagram reels?" Kanhaiya asked the crowd, directly referencing Amruta Fadnavis without naming her. As a trained classical singer and social media influencer, Amruta Fadnavis is well-known for her active online presence, a contrast that Kanhaiya Kumar was quick to exploit.
Kanhaiya Kumar further urged voters to demand accountability from leaders pushing the Hindutva agenda. "If this is truly a 'dharma yudh,' why are the leaders' own children studying abroad, away from the 'fight to save religion'? Why should common people be responsible for this 'vote jihad' narrative, while privileged families remain unaffected?" he added.
Kanhaiya's statements come as Fadnavis, the BJP candidate for Nagpur Southwest, has intensified his rhetoric around Hindutva and the concept of "vote jihad" in response to the alliance between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition and Muslim voter support. Recently, Fadnavis, who also serves as the state's Home Minister, blamed the "consolidation of Muslim votes" for the BJP's setbacks in the last Lok Sabha elections, particularly pointing to the ruling alliance’s success in 14 out of 48 seats.
But Kanhaiya Kumar did not limit his remarks to Devendra Fadnavis. He also targeted Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the current International Cricket Council (ICC) chairperson. "Will Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah join in to 'save religion'? He is forming IPL teams in the BCCI while we are told to dream of cricket through platforms like Dream11. They show us dreams, but we end up as gamblers," Kumar quipped, contrasting elite positions in the cricket world with everyday gambling promotions targeted at the public.
The BJP quickly hit back, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemning Kanhaiya’s remarks as an "insult to every Marathi woman," referring specifically to the criticism of Amruta Fadnavis. Poonawalla also labeled Kanhaiya as a supporter of "anti-national elements," invoking the Congress leader's 2016 arrest over alleged sedition in connection with a JNU event that commemorated Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
As Maharashtra’s assembly election approaches, Kanhaiya Kumar's critique highlights rising tensions between the Congress and BJP on issues of Hindutva and alleged "vote jihad" strategies. With Fadnavis emphasizing "vote jihad" as a core election plank and Kanhaiya championing an anti-divisive rhetoric, the electoral battle is set to deepen these ideological rifts.
In a state as diverse as Maharashtra, where religion, caste, and class influence voting patterns, the 2024 election narrative is rapidly shifting. Whether the BJP’s Hindutva-focused campaign strategy or the Congress’s call for unity resonates more strongly with voters remains to be seen.
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