'Suited-booted should not do politics': Jagadguru Rambhadracharya on Kharge's 'gerua' clothes remark against UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Reacting to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s comments on leaders wearing "gerua" attire, spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya countered the Congress chief saying "bhagwa is a colour of Bhagwan".

"Where is it written? Should goons be into politics? Should loafers do politics? 'Bhagwadhari' should do politics. Bhagwa is a colour of 'Bhagwan'. Shivaji hoisted the same Bhagwa flag and united the whole nation and Maharashtra. Bhagwadhari should do politics. Suited-booted should not do politics in India," Jagadguru Rambhadracharya said.

Kharge’s initial comments sparked a political storm when he without taking names tagetted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath saying, “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 heads… I would say to the BJP, either wear white clothes or, if you are a sanyasi, wear ‘gerua’ clothes, but then get out of politics.”

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to Kharge’s remarks by denouncing them as anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated that the Congress’s stance reflects a pattern of disdain for Hindu practices. "This is the true philosophy and DNA of Congress which is anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan,” he said. “This is the same Congress that spoke about ‘saffron terrorism,’ ‘Hindu terror’… They will never say such things about other faiths,” said Poonawalla.

BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari supported this view, labelling Kharge’s statements as an expression of Congress’s “hatred towards Sanatana Dharma.” In a statement to ANI, he argued that Kharge’s words demonstrate a deeper aversion to Hindu symbols. “Mallikarjun Kharge hates saffron; that’s why he used terms like saffron terrorism during Congress rule. Congress has a problem with each and everything associated with Sanatana Dharma,” Bhandari claimed.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal also condemned Kharge’s remarks, asserting that individuals should have the right to choose their attire. “This should be a matter of personal choice for every individual. A lot of derogatory comments have been made about Yogi Adityanath's attire and his appearance. They say that if he wants to remain the Chief Minister, he should abandon his saffron robes, wear white clothes, and enter politics; otherwise, he should leave politics,” Goyal said.**

Goyal continued, “It is very unfortunate that a person who has dedicated his entire life to serving society, has renounced worldly pleasures, and entered politics intending to serve society, is being subjected to such criticism.”