Fri Nov 15 14:50:00 IST 2024: ## Congress Leader Kanhaiya Kumar Sparks Row in Maharashtra Election Campaign
**Nagpur, India:** Political tensions escalated in Maharashtra on Tuesday as Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar launched a scathing attack on BJP Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of using religion for political gains while his wife enjoys a lavish lifestyle.
Kumar, a former JNU student union president, addressed a rally in Nagpur in support of the Congress candidate for the South-West constituency, Prof. Prafull Gudade. Fadnavis is the incumbent BJP candidate for the seat.
During his speech, Kumar pointed out the discrepancy between the BJP’s rhetoric on protecting religion and the lifestyle of their leaders. He challenged Fadnavis, asking if his children were involved in the “religious war” he was preaching. He also criticized Fadnavis’ wife, Amruta Fadnavis, who is a renowned classical singer and banker active on social media, for creating Instagram reels while the people were expected to save their religion.
Kumar further targeted BJP president Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, accusing him of building IPL teams while the BJP was asking people to create Dream11 teams.
These comments have sparked outrage within the BJP, with spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala calling it an insult to every Marathi woman. Poonawala also accused Kumar of being a supporter of Afzal Guru, a convicted terrorist, and a participant in the 2016 JNU sedition case.
Fadnavis’ recent remarks blaming “vote jihad” for the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections have been criticized by opposition parties.
With the Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled for November 20th, Kumar’s comments are likely to further escalate tensions between the BJP and the Congress, adding fuel to the already heated political atmosphere in the state.
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