JP Nadda: Cong uses divide-and-rule tactics behind the façade of ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’

MUMBAI: BJP national president and Union minister JP Nadda on Wednesday sharply criticised the Congress over an alleged racist remark directed at Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy

MUMBAI: BJP national president and Union minister JP Nadda on Wednesday sharply criticised the Congress over an alleged racist remark directed at Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy. Nadda accused the leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi of hiding divisive, “divide-and-rule” tactics behind the façade of their ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ (shop of love) slogan.

JP Nadda: Cong uses divide-and-rule tactics behind the façade of ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’

Two days ago, Karnataka minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan referred to Kumaraswamy as “kaaliya,” a slur often associated with dark skin, sparking a backlash.

At a public meeting in Mumbai, Nadda labelled the opposition as “a cancer,” urging voters to “administer an antibiotic” by voting decisively in the November 20 assembly polls. “If you want to keep your nation strong, you must ensure these cancerous cells don’t spread. For a healthy nation, a timely antibiotic is needed, and November 20 is the day to give it,” he said.

Nadda’s comments came at an event organised by Malabar Hill MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha at Churchgate, where he engaged with local professionals. He accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of stalling development, saying, “The MVA not only applied brakes to progress but put Maharashtra in reverse gear.”

Further, Nadda claimed Congress is now “in the hands of urban Naxals” and criticised Rahul Gandhi for giving a party ticket to former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been linked to controversial slogans. “Slogans like ‘Afzal, we are ashamed, your killers are alive’ and ‘India will be broken into pieces’ were heard in JNU,” Nadda alleged. “The next day, Rahul Gandhi shakes hands with them, supports them, and Congress gives tickets to those who undermine India.”

He also targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for allying with Congress, contrasting this with the stance of Balasaheb Thackeray, who famously vowed he would “shut shop” rather than align with Congress. “There has been a dilution and deviation from ideology,” Nadda said, urging voters to use the November 20 election to hold the opposition accountable.