Kanhaiya Kumar courts controversy with jibe at Devendra Fadnavis' wife

Mumbai, Nov 14 (IANS) Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has stirred a major row with his objectionable remarks against Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta Fadnavis, while campaigning for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

His controversial comments has put him in line of fire from many BJP spokespersons, who slammed the student leader-turned-politician for engaging in ‘character shaming’ rather than canvassing for votes in the state.

Kanhaiya made the comments while firing salvo at Fadnavis over his ‘dharma yudh’ call to counter ‘vote jihad’ in the poll-bound state. Accusing the BJP heavyweight of propagating divisive rhetoric, Kanhaiya said that the job of saving ‘dharma’ shouldn’t be responsibility of everyone and not get relegated to a select few.

"If this is a 'dharma yudh' (religious war), then you should question every leader who gives sermons on saving your religion. Ask them if their children will also join in the fight to save religion. How is this possible that we take up the task of saving our religion while their children go abroad to study in institutions like Oxford and Harvard?,” said Kanhaiya Kumar addressing a public rally in Nagpur on Wednesday night.

“We all have to save the religion. How is it possible that public be made responsible for saving the religion, while the Deputy Chief Minister's wife keeps making reels on Instagram?" Kanhaiya Kumar asked.

Last week, Devendra Fadnavis while campaigning for MahaYuti candidates blasted the Maha Aghadi alliance (MVA) for pandering to Muslim vote bank with its appeasement promises and called for waging ‘dharma yudh’ as a reply to ‘vote jihad’.

Meanwhile, Kanhaiya’s remarks has drawn sharp condemnation and criticism from the BJP. Shahzad Poonawala took to social media and dubbed the Congress leader as "Naxali Afzal Guru Samarthak".

He said that remarks against Fadnavis’ wife was an insult to every Marathi woman.

"You Naxali Afzal Guru supporter Congress' Kanhaiya Kumar. How dare you insult a daughter of Maharashtra. Amruta Fadnavis' insult is an insult of each and every Marathi woman. Those using terms like 'rejected maal', 'imported maal' will be taught a lesson by the people of Maharashtra," Poonawalla posted on X.