NEW DELHI: Congress' pictorial post on social media, seemingly portraying PM Modi without his head, caused a furore in BJP. The governing party said the image echoed the Islamist " sar tan se juda " call recently made by a Pakistan diplomat in London, who had mocked Indian diaspora with a throat-slitting gesture.
Congress posted the image with "gayab jimmedari ke samay (missing instead of taking responsibility)" as the caption on its X handle by cropping Modi's head out of what appeared to be an old picture of the PM, with his trademark clothes forming the outline. It did not mention the PM's name.
Congress defended the post through the day, arguing that it did not show anyone's name or face. However, with the image going viral on social media, the party deleted it in the evening.
Significantly, it was only on Monday that the party, alarmed at its netas making controversial remarks like the one debunking the account of kin of Pahalgam victims that terrorists had marked out non-Muslims before killing them, had said only party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi represented the party's stand.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the post once again exposed sincerity of Kharge's and Rahul's claim of supporting govt in responding to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. "This is not an innocent post by Congress. It is a sinister design to weaken the integrity of Bharat," he told at a presser.
"On one hand, PM Modi and Army have taken a vow to destroy the power which has looked at India with an evil eye, while on the other, its the evil of terror demonic power... Pakistan's thinking and Congress's thinking," Bhatia alleged, mocking Congress as "Lashkar-e-Pakistan Congress".
BJP IT dept head Amit Malviya said on X, "Congress leaves little doubt with its use of 'sar tan se juda' imagery. This is not a political statement; it is a dog whistle aimed at its Muslim vote-bank and a veiled incitement against the PM."
Stick to party stand: Congress
Following the controversy over the 'Gayab' post, Congress on Tuesday instructed all party netas and workers to stick to the CWC resolution on the Pahalgam attack and said any deviation would be seen as a serious breach of discipline. It is learnt that AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has written to all state units and party functionaries in this regard.
Congress also took down the 'Gayab' post amid a feeling within the party that BJP's campaign alleging "sar tan se juda" had undercut the mileage the party had sought to generate through letters to the PM seeking a special session of Parliament on the terror hit.
The party was also disappointed that the post, with allegations of being "distasteful", dented the positive feedback about the party's stand extending support to the govt over the terror attack.
The delayed response in taking down the post was said to be due to the leadership's late focus on the issue. Earlier, AICC social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate defended the post, with a detailed video of how Modi has been "missing" since the attack.
Congress posted the image with "gayab jimmedari ke samay (missing instead of taking responsibility)" as the caption on its X handle by cropping Modi's head out of what appeared to be an old picture of the PM, with his trademark clothes forming the outline. It did not mention the PM's name.
Congress defended the post through the day, arguing that it did not show anyone's name or face. However, with the image going viral on social media, the party deleted it in the evening.
Significantly, it was only on Monday that the party, alarmed at its netas making controversial remarks like the one debunking the account of kin of Pahalgam victims that terrorists had marked out non-Muslims before killing them, had said only party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi represented the party's stand.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the post once again exposed sincerity of Kharge's and Rahul's claim of supporting govt in responding to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. "This is not an innocent post by Congress. It is a sinister design to weaken the integrity of Bharat," he told at a presser.
"On one hand, PM Modi and Army have taken a vow to destroy the power which has looked at India with an evil eye, while on the other, its the evil of terror demonic power... Pakistan's thinking and Congress's thinking," Bhatia alleged, mocking Congress as "Lashkar-e-Pakistan Congress".
BJP IT dept head Amit Malviya said on X, "Congress leaves little doubt with its use of 'sar tan se juda' imagery. This is not a political statement; it is a dog whistle aimed at its Muslim vote-bank and a veiled incitement against the PM."
Stick to party stand: Congress
Following the controversy over the 'Gayab' post, Congress on Tuesday instructed all party netas and workers to stick to the CWC resolution on the Pahalgam attack and said any deviation would be seen as a serious breach of discipline. It is learnt that AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has written to all state units and party functionaries in this regard.
Congress also took down the 'Gayab' post amid a feeling within the party that BJP's campaign alleging "sar tan se juda" had undercut the mileage the party had sought to generate through letters to the PM seeking a special session of Parliament on the terror hit.
The party was also disappointed that the post, with allegations of being "distasteful", dented the positive feedback about the party's stand extending support to the govt over the terror attack.
The delayed response in taking down the post was said to be due to the leadership's late focus on the issue. Earlier, AICC social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate defended the post, with a detailed video of how Modi has been "missing" since the attack.
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