Yogi Adityanath and Mallikarjun Kharge have traded barbs – on charges of spreading communal hatred vs appeasement politics – as campaigning for next week’s Maharashtra Assembly election enters the home stretch.

At a rally in Amravati Tuesday afternoon, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister served up a caustic reply to the Congress boss’ comment about “(political) leaders in the guise of sadhus”, an obvious jab at Yogi Adityanath.

Responding to that attack, Yogi referred to his rival’s childhood tragedy – his mother and members of his family died when their home, in a village in the former princely state of Hyderabad, was burned down by an Islamic militia – and claimed Mr Kharge had since buried his feelings “for the sake of (the Congress’) vote bank”.

“Khargeji is angry with me. But, Khargeji, I am saying that for a yogi the country comes first. But, for you, appeasing the Congress is paramount.”

“His village was under the Nizam of Hyderabad… when India was under the British. There was a fire… this was when Hindus were being selectively killed. And, in this fire, his home was also burned down, in which his mother and family were killed. But Khargeji does not say this… because he knows if he says it, then Muslim votes will shift. He forgot the sacrifice of his family for the sake of votes.”

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister hit back after Mr Kharge, on Sunday, criticised Yogi over the contentious poll slogan “batenge toh katenge“.

READ | “Batenge Toh Katenge”: Yogi Adityanath Makes Pitch For ‘Unity’

“Many (political) leaders live in the guise of sadhus and become politicians… some even become chief ministers. They wear gerua (saffron) clothes and have no hair on their heads…” the Congress boss said, “But I would say… either wear white clothes or, if you are a sanyasi, get out of politics.”

#WATCH | Mumbai: At the ‘Samvidhan Bachao Sammelan’, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “Many leaders live in the guise of sadhus and have now become politicians. Some have even become chief ministers. They wear ‘gerua’ clothes and have no hair on their… pic.twitter.com/wLnFkNNNz7

— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2024

“On the one hand you wear gerua clothes… on the other you say ‘batenge toh katenge‘. They are spreading hatred among the people and are trying to divide them,” he declared.

The sharp jibes were in reference to comments by Yogi Adityanath in August.

Speaking in Agra, he cited the example of chaos then in Bangladesh and said, “You see Bangladesh… those mistakes should not be repeated here. ‘Batenge to katenge, ek rahenge to nek rahenge‘.”

He had accused the opposition of being more concerned about votes than the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh after ex Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.

But, in the build-up to the Maharashtra election, Yogi Adityanath’s incendiary statement didn’t find favour with a BJP ally – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his Nationalist Congress Party faction.

READ | On Yogi’s “Batoge Toh Katoge” Slogan, Ajit Pawar’s Rejoinder

“All castes should unite and think about India… they should think about Maharashtra. Development cannot happen by creating differences between each other…” Mr Pawar told NDTV.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

With input from agencies

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Amid the massive row over his alleged racist remark against Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has said he called the JDS leader “Kaalia” out of affection and that he was ready to apologise if the comment upset him.

The minister said this was not the first time he had used the word for HD Kumaraswamy. “Why is it that big (an issue)? I would apologise if I had called him that for the first time. In the days when we were close friends, Kumaraswamy used to address me as Kulla (dwarf) and I would call him Kariya (dark). If Kumaraswamy or anyone else is hurt, I would seek their apology,” the minister told the media.

A five-time Congress MLA, Mr Khan is a Congress minister in the Siddaramaiah-led state government and handles housing, Waqf and minority welfare portfolios. He was campaigning for the Congress’s CP Yogeeshwara in Channapatna Assembly constituency. Mr Yogeeshwara, who had switched to the BJP, has returned to the Congress and will take on HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil in the upcoming bypoll. The Channapatna Assembly seat was vacated when Mr Kumaraswamy, the sitting MLA, was elected to Lok Sabha.

Speaking about Mr Yogeshwara’s return to the Congress, Mr Khan said, “Due to some differences in our party, he contested as an Independent. He had no option but to join the BJP. He was not ready to join the JD(S) because ‘Kaaliya Kumaraswamy’ was more dangerous than the BJP. Now he has come back home,” the state minister said.

The remark drew a sharp response from the JDS, which termed it a “new low in political discourse”. “The nation vehemently condemns the disgraceful and racially charged remarks by Zameer Ahmed against HD Kumaraswamy. This kind of hateful language marks a new low in political discourse and has no place in a civilized society. We demand accountability from leaders who choose divisive attacks over constructive dialogue,” the party said in a post on X.

Kiren Rijiju, BJP leader and Mr Kumaraswamy’s colleague in the central government, slammed the remark and used the opportunity to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “I strongly deplore Congress Minister Zameer Ahmed calling Union Minister & Ex CM of Karnataka Sh. Kumaraswamy as ‘Kaalia Kumaraswamy’. This is a racist remark, same as Rahul Gandhi’s adviser calling South Indians look like Africans, North East as Chinese, North Indians as Arabs,” he said.