Culture Ministry funded event platformed incendiary ‘hate speech’: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) criticised the Union Ministry of Culture for funding an event in December where, it alleged, hate speeches were made against the Muslim community.

Addressing a press conference here, party spokesperson Ragini Nayak Basoya stated that the event — Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnad Mahotsava, organised by the Sanatan Sanstha at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi — received ₹63 lakh from the Ministry of Culture.

There has been no statement from the Culture Ministry, however, a right to information (RTI) response revealed that the Ministry of Culture gave the grant to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram.

Hate mongering

 “There was neither va nor ma of the national song. Instead, there were slogans like Bharat tere abbu ki jaagir nahin [Bharat is not your fiefdom],” Ms. Basoya said.

 Alleging that “hate mongering” has been mainstreamed, she alleged that speakers at the event targeted Muslims, describing them as “infiltrators”, and also made suggestions on how to convert them. 

Ms. Basoya further claimed that Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shripad Naik, and Sanjay Seth, as well as Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, were among those who attended the programme.

Suspect group

The Congress spokesperson also claimed that the Sanatan Sanstha was under investigation by the Karnataka government in connection with the murders of journalist Gauri Lankesh and scholar M.M. Kalburgi, and questioned why the Union government had provided financial support to it.

“Why does the Government of India need to give ₹63 lakh to such an organisation for such a programme? Does the Prime Minister want polarisation?” she asked, demanding an explanation.

She also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “double standards”, saying that while he maintained cordial ties with leaders of Muslim-majority countries abroad, Muslims were being “victimised” at home.

She said the Prime Minister had received a warm reception in Malaysia because he represented a secular India, and added that events such as the one organised by the Sanatan Sanstha would harm the country’s reputation.

Ms. Basoya accused the organisation of misusing the term “Sanatan” and demanded that the government introduce “preventive legislation” to curb hate speech and divisive rhetoric.