Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath hardly stays out of controversy. Either controversies follow him or vice-versa.
Now, the centre of controversy is a birthday cake. Nath, who is turning 76 today, cut a four-tier temple-shaped cake on top of which there is a saffron flag and an image of lord Hanuman.
The video of the cake cutting immediately took the social media to storms and Nath started receiving flaks from different political quarters.
Madhya Pradesh BJP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan while condemning Nath’s action termed Congress ‘fake devotee’. In tweet that came immediately after Nath’s video went viral, the CM wrote, “He [Kamal Nath] and his party are false devotees, who have nothing to do with god. He represents the same party that once opposed the construction of Ram Temple. But on realising that it was damaging them electorally, he turned into a Hanuman Bhakt.”
While addressing a press conference the video of which he shared from his Twitter account he said that such actions are insult to Hindu religion. “They put Hanuman ji’s picture on the cake and then cut it. This is an insult to Hindu religion and Sanatan tradition,” Chouhan added.
Though today is Kamal Nath’s birthday, his supporters gathered to celebrate his birthday a day earlier at his house in Chhindawara, Nath’s assembly constituency.
This is however not the first time in recent past that Nath courted controversy.
Kamal Nath Hurting Sikh Sentiments?
Recently on November 9, the former MP CM was lashed out by a hymn singer Ragi Manpreet Singh Kanpuri for his presence at a Sikh function in Indore.
The singer in a video criticised the organisers for calling Nath in an oblique reference to 1984 Sikh riots and said that he would never come to Indore. Kamal Nath was allegedly involved in the heinous riots that after the death of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took away more than 3000 lives.
Delhi High Court in January asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file a status report on a plea that sought actions against the alleged role of Nath in the riots.
As Nath left Indore venue, some BJP local leaders reportedly ‘purified’ the venue with water. MP home minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra also termed the event ‘shameful’.
India ‘Badnam hai’: Kamal Nath
During the Covid 19 period, Kamal Nath invited severe criticisms for his comment that India is ‘not great’ but ‘infamous’ for its Covid handling.
Nath was on a religious visit to Maihar, Madhya Pradesh in May, 2021. While addressing the media, he said, “Today, India is not great, rather it is infamous. The whole world is watching the Covid-19 situation unfold in India. Today, people in the United States are scared to sit in taxis being driven by Indian drivers.”
Soon after the reports came out, BJP leader Narottam Mishra said that the former CM had lost mental balance after losing power in the state and thus is indulged in shaming the country. Notably, Nath’s Congress government had been toppled by the BJP just a few days before nationwide lockdown had been promulgated.
Earlier in Covid period only, he termed the B.1.617 strain of the Covid-19 virus as ‘Indian variant’ and brought in severe flaks.
Kamal Nath’s ‘Krishna Avatar’
In September, 2021 during Janmashtami, a poster came up on the billboard outside the Congress headquarters in Bhopal showing the former CM in ‘Krishna Avatar’. The banner also carried the pictures of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh.
This portrayal of Nath as lord Krishna immediately dragged him to controversy. BJP minister Vishwas Sarang said that he was ‘insulting’ Hindu religion.
“Congress has always made fun of religion. They opposed Ram, resisted temple construction, and denied the existence of Ram Setu. They were now making a Muslim make fun of Hindu religion. This is not forgivable. It is an insult to Lord Krishna,” he said.
