‘Can’t save religion when deputy CM’s wife is busy making roles’: Kanhaiya Kumar’s comments on Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta spark a row | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has created a political storm with his controversial comments against Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta. The comments, made at a rally in Nagpur on Wednesday, have drawn sharp condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While addressing the crowd, Kanhaiya focused on Fadnavis’s recent comments in which he called the upcoming elections a “Dharamyudh”, suggesting that protection of religion should be a collective effort. He said the task of “saving religion” should not be reduced to political rhetoric while the deputy CM’s wife is engaged in “creating Instagram reels.”
“Deputy Prime Minister Devendra Fadnavis said this is a ‘Dharamyudh’. This is a good thing. It is our Dharam to protect democracy and the Constitution for which I am standing and delivering a speech today. No matter which leader speaks about saving religion, You only have to ask one thing from the leader who gives you a speech about saving religion: will your son or daughter join us in this fight to save religion? he asked.
“Will this happen that the responsibility of saving religion will fall on us and your children will study in the universities of Oxford Cambridge. If we want to save religion, let us save it together. It cannot be so that we save the religion and the deputy chief.” The minister’s wife takes images on Instagram. It can’t be like that. Everyone will save religion together,” Kanhaiya added.
The comments were in direct response to Fadnavis’s recent statement during his campaign for Mahayuti candidates, where he had called for a ‘Dharma-Yuddha’ to counter what he described as ‘vote jihad’ in the state.

BJP condemns Kanhaiya’s comments

The BJP was quick to condemn Kanhaiya Kumar’s comments, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla leading the charge. Poonawalla labeled Kanhaiya as a “supporter of Naxali Afzal Guru” and accused him of disrespecting Marathi women by targeting Amruta Fadnavis.
“How dare you insult a daughter of Maharashtra, Kanhaiya Kumar? Your words are an insult to every Marathi woman,” Poonawalla wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Amruta Fadnavis is a proud daughter of Maharashtra and those who use such derogatory language will face consequences from the people of Maharashtra.”
Poonawalla’s statement referred to the statement of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, who faced backlash in late October for calling Shiv Sena candidate Shaina NC an “imported meal” during the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign. In his defense, Sawant denied mentioning Shaina’s name and clarified, “I only said that someone who is an outsider will not be able to work here.” He emphasized respect for Shaina and called her a friend.
The Assembly elections in Maharashtra are scheduled for November 20, and counting of votes is scheduled for November 23. In the 2019 state elections, the BJP won 105 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 56 and the Congress claimed 44 of the 288 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the MVA coalition saw a strong performance, winning 30 of the 48 available seats, while the Mahayuti secured only 17.