Karnataka Congress Home Minister Priyank Kharge has come under criticism after claiming that kumkum is made from saffron (kesar) imported from Islamic countries, with several political commentators, fact-checkers and digital media platforms pointing out that the statement is factually incorrect.
Speaking at an event, Kharge said, “Kesar, 90% of kesar is from Islamic countries. Kumkum is made out of kesar (saffron), and 90% of kesar comes from Islamic countries. So will they stop wearing tilak?”
Mr. Junior Kharge doesn’t even know how Kumkum is prepared. Holy Kumkum is not made from saffron. Its primary ingredient is turmeric, proudly grown by our farmers in Chamarajanagar, across Karnataka, and throughout Bharat.
Time and again, Jr. Kharge insults Hindu faith,… pic.twitter.com/n2CFVlTOxt
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) July 7, 2026
Traditionally, authentic Hindu kumkum is prepared using turmeric (haldi) and slaked lime (chuna). When turmeric is mixed with the alkaline lime, a natural chemical reaction transforms the yellow turmeric into the characteristic deep red powder used as kumkum. This preparation has been followed for centuries in Hindu religious and cultural practices.
Saffron (kesar), on the other hand, is the dried stigma of the Crocus sativus flower and is primarily valued as a spice, fragrance and colouring agent. While saffron is used in several Hindu rituals and offerings, it is not the traditional ingredient used to prepare kumkum.
A true practicing Hindu would already know this fact and not ‘confuse’ saffron as the ingredient for kumkum.
Following Kharge’s remarks, the video clip was widely circulated across social media, with political commentators, fact-checkers and digital media channels highlighting what they described as the biological and factual inaccuracy in equating kumkum with imported saffron. They pointed out that traditional kumkum is not derived from saffron but from the chemical reaction between turmeric and slaked lime.
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