New Delhi - BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Husain Dalwai on Sunday, accusing him of making "derogatory statements" about the Maha Kumbh 2025. Bhattacharya alleged that the Congress party is deliberately attempting to "hurt Hindu sentiments" to appease the Muslim vote bank.

Dalwai, a senior leader of the Maharashtra Congress, had previously criticized the arrangements for the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh, stating that they were "insufficient and lacking in basic amenities" to accommodate the millions of devotees expected at the Triveni Sangam. He expressed concerns about the potential for disease outbreaks due to the large-scale bathing in the Ganga, noting that the arrangements should be on the same scale as those made for Haj.

Bhattacharya, however, seized upon Dalwai's comments as an opportunity to accuse the Congress of disrespecting Hindu beliefs. He stated that the party's "politics revolves around cultivation and consolidating of the Muslim vote bank" and that they resort to "derogatory statements and disrespect the Hindus" to achieve this goal.

"By inciting such discrimination in society, the Congress is attempting to divide communities and consolidate the Muslim vote bank," Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya, on the other hand, dismissed Dalwai's concerns as an attack on Hindu traditions and reiterated his claim that the Congress is "targeting Hindu sentiments" for political gain.