While preparations for the upcoming Diwali are in full swing across the country, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is irritated by the joy of the people. This year, his irritation is directed at the lamps lit on Diwali. His recent statement made it clear that he likes the Christian festival of Christmas more than Diwali, and sees the lighting of lamps on the Hindu festival of Diwali as a waste of money. Akhilesh Yadav said that lighting diyas on Diwalil is โwaste of moneyโ, and instead people should use electric lights for decoration like Christians do on Chirstmas.
During a press conference held on Dhanteras (October 18, 2025) in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said, โI would like to make a suggestion in the name of Lord Ram. During Christmas, cities are illuminated for months. Learn from them. Why spend so much money on lamps and candles again and again? What can we expect from this government? It should be removed. We will ensure that there are even more beautiful lights hereโฆโ
#WATCH | Lucknow | SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “โฆ I dont want to give a suggestion. But I will give one suggestion on the name of Lord Ram. In the entire world, all the cities get illuminated during Christmas. And that goes on for months. We should learn from them. Why do weโฆ pic.twitter.com/HAL47migCC
โ ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025
Akhileshโs statement outraged people on social media
Akhilesh Yadavโs suggestion on Diwali reflects his hatred for Hindu festivals. His statement attracted backlash from Hindus on social media. Some people on social media expressed suspicion about whether Akhilesh was even a Hindu.
A social media user referred to Akhilesh Yadav as โAkhileshuddinโ and said, โWhat can be expected from โAkhileshuddin?โ
An X user said, โNow Akhilesh Yadav has a problem with diyas and candles. Now, the people of Uttar Pradesh have to question whether he is a Christian or a Muslimโ.
@yadavakhilesh เคเฅ เค เคฌ เคฆเคฟเคฏเฅเค เคเคฐ เคฎเฅเคฎเคฌเคคเฅเคคเฅ เคธเฅ เคญเฅ เคฆเคฟเคเฅเคเคค เคนเฅ เคเค เคนเฅ โฆ..เค เคเคฟเคฒเฅเคถ เคฏเคพเคฆเคต เคเคพ เคฌเคฏเคพเคจ โ: “เคชเฅเคฐเฅ เคฆเฅเคจเคฟเคฏเคพ เคฎเฅเค เคเฅเคฐเคฟเคธเคฎเคธ เคเฅ เคฆเฅเคฐเคพเคจ เคธเคญเฅ เคถเคนเคฐ เคฐเฅเคถเคจ เคนเฅ เคเคพเคคเฅ เคนเฅเคเฅค เคเคฐ เคฏเคน เคฎเคนเฅเคจเฅเค เคคเค เคเคฒเคคเคพ เคนเฅเฅค เคนเคฎเฅเค เคเคจเคธเฅ เคธเฅเคเคจเคพ เคเคพเคนเคฟเคเฅค เคนเคฎเฅเค เคฆเฅเคฏเฅเค เคเคฐ เคฎเฅเคฎเคฌเคคเฅเคคเคฟเคฏเฅเค เคชเคฐ เคชเฅเคธเคพ เคเฅเคฏเฅเค เคเคฐเฅเค เคเคฐเคจเคพ เคนเฅ เคเคฐ เคเคธเคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคเคคเคจเคพ เคธเฅเคเคจเคพ เคเฅเคฏเฅเคโฆ pic.twitter.com/tRiZa36psC
โ เคเคฏเคเฅเคฐเคฟเคค เคธเคฟเคเคนโ๏ธ (@Aswal__JS__143) October 18, 2025
Another user wrote, โWeโve seen many great leaders, but none like this one, who canโt even make his own stand clear. After all, this leader, who specialises in building his political career by misleading people and giving false assurances in the name of PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak), has now started insulting Hindus while opposing Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and upper castes. While on one hand, our brothers and sisters from the Kumhaar (potter) caste work hard all year to make lamps for the Diwali festival, on the other hand, this gentleman, citing the example of Christmas, asks people to hang lights. Should the people of Sanatan Dharma take inspiration from Christmasโฆ?โ
เคเค เคธเฅ เคฌเคขเคผเคเคฐ เคเค เคจเฅเคคเคพ เคฆเฅเคเฅ เคชเคฐ เคเคจ เคเฅ เคเฅเคธเคพ เคเฅเค เคจเคนเฅเค เคเฅ เคเฅเคฆ เคนเฅ เค เคชเคจเคพ เคธเฅเคเฅเคเคก เคเฅเคฒเคฟเคฏเคฐ เคจเคนเฅเค เคเคฐ เคชเคพเค.
เคเคเคฟเคฐ PDA เคเฅ เคจเคพเคฎ เคชเคฐ เคฒเฅเคเฅเค เคเฅ เคเฅเคฎเคฐเคพเคน เคเคฐ เคเฅเค เฅ เคคเคธเคฒเฅเคฒเฅ เคฆเฅ เค เคชเคจเคพ เคฐเคพเคเคจเฅเคคเคฟเค เคเฅเคฐเคฟเคฏเคฐ เคฌเคจเคพเคจเฅ เคฎเฅเค เคฎเคพเคนเคฟเคฐ เคจเฅเคคเคพ เคเฅ เคฌเฅเคฐเคพเคนเฅเคฎเคฃเฅเค,เคเฅเคทเคคเฅเคฐเคฟเคฏเฅเค เคเคฐ เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคฃเฅเค เคเคพ เคตเคฟเคฐเฅเคง เคเคฐเคคเฅ เคเคฐเคคเฅ เคนเคฟเคจเฅเคฆเฅเคเค เคเคพ เค เคญเฅ เค เคชเคฎเคพเคจ เคเคฐเคจเฅ เคฒเคเฅเฅค
เคเค เคคเคฐเคซโฆ pic.twitter.com/tARAoamzWsโ Himanshu Dwivedi(Legal Journalist)๐ฎ๐ณ (@Dwivedihd92) October 19, 2025
Another social media user asked Akhilesh Yadav to offer similar advice for the festival of Eid. The user wrote, โSimilarly, why sacrifice animals every year on Eid? If you do it once, isnโt that enough? Save money and maybe an innocent animal. Why cut down trees every year on Christmas?โ
Akhilesh Yadav Says “Learn from Foreign countries, On Christmas they decorate for entire month. Why Purchase Candles, Diya and Crackers on Diwali?”
He is Right.
Same way why Sacrifice Animals every year on EID. If you have done once is it not enough? Save money and Perhaps aโฆ pic.twitter.com/qAevPPCg3I
โ Abhay (@KaunHaiAbhay) October 19, 2025
Evidently, Hindus are outraged over Akhilesh Yadavโs Hinduphobic statement, terming Hindu celebrations as a waste of money. The Hindus understand the significance of lighting diyas on Diwali, something the SP supremo, despite being a Hindu, probably doesnโt. Akhilesh Yadav should understand that the festival of lights is not just a religious tradition but also has spiritual and social significance.
Importance of lighting a lamp
The tradition of Deepotsav is not just a religious ritual but is also deeply connected with our culture, consciousness and socio-economic life. It symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and truth over falsehood. From a religious and spiritual perspective, the Hindu tradition considers the lamp to be the light representing the soul and the divine energy. The light of the lamp not only dispels external darkness but also illuminates the darkness of inner thoughts, emotions, despair, and negativity.
Similarly, on a social and economic level, diyas are the livelihood of thousands of families who engage in the work of making Diyas for festivals like Diwali. During the annual Deepotsav in Ayodhya, local potter families receive large orders to make diyas for Diwali.
Employment from making diyas
Every year, the Ayodhya Deepotsav sets a new record by breaking the previous one. Last year, the Deepotsav set a record with 2.6 million diyas being lit for the celebration. However, the record will be broken in this yearโs Deepotsav, which is set to witness the lighting of 2.9 million diyas. Thus, the festival of Diwali is not only a demonstration of peopleโs faith but also creates employment opportunities.
Several media reports showed how local pottersย said their lives had changed since the beginning of Ayodhya Deepotsav in 2017. While potter families previously earned only about โน20,000 on Diwali, their income has now reached lakhs. Hundreds of families in small villages across the country are earning a comfortable living by making diyas.
This is the reason that Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised purchasing indigenous products. Ahead of Diwali, PM Modi appealed, โEmbrace indigenous products and make them the mantra of every home and marketโ. PM Modiโs appeal has had a significant impact on the Diwaliย market. In the colorfully decorated markets, the number of indigenous products has increased, and the buyers are enthusiastic about purchasing them.
Cutting down trees for Christmas
Notably, millions of trees are cut down for Akhilesh Yadavโs favourite festival, Christmas, which has many negative impacts on the environment and society. Decorating trees is a common practice every year for Christmas, and these trees are either real or plastic. Growing natural Christmas trees requires extensive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, whichย severely impactsย the ecosystem.
Additionally, felling these trees destroys wildlife habitats,ย harming biodiversity. When felled trees end up in landfills, they release carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. Artificial Christmas trees are equally harmful to the environment because they are made of plastic, which is non-biodegradable andย remains inย landfills for years. Akhilesh Yadav, who preferred artificial Christmas lights over earthen lamps of Deepotsav, should know that these lights increase the consumption of electricity, whereas lighting lamps makes the world bright without using electricity.
Akhilesh Yadavโs hypocrisy
Akhilesh Yadav may or may not realise the significance of the festival of Diwali. Or maybe, even if he does, he will not admit it publicly. But his Diwali greetings from 2024, interestingly, suggest that he does have some knowledge of the festival of lights. It is also possible that last yearโs Diwali greetings were a mere formality, and his real opinion on Diwali was revealed during the press conference. Interestingly, Yadav does not remember such suggestions for Eid, Christmas, or any other religious festival.
The truth is that Akhilesh Yadav is not happy with the fact that Ayodhya Deeptsav, which was started by the Yogi government, is getting global acclaim. He is unable to accept the reality that the diyas of a Hindu religious festival are an attraction for people from India and abroad. Akhilesh Yadavโs venomous statement on Diwali has made it clear that if his government comes to power, Diwali will have no significance for him. Comparing the Hindu festival of Diwali to Christmas, celebrated in Western countries, is nothing more than Akhilesh Yadavโs crude anti-Hindu rhetoric.
(This article is a translation of the original article published on OpIndia Hindi.)
