In a recent turn of events, the Indian political landscape witnessed a poster war between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over an image that portrayed Rahul Gandhi as a modern-day Ravan. The controversy erupted when the BJP’s official social media handle shared an image depicting Rahul Gandhi in this manner, sparking outrage and accusations from the Congress.
Congress’ Response to BJP’s Poster
The opposition party wasted no time in condemning the BJP’s actions. Congress general secretary (organization) K.C. Venugopal accused the BJP of attempting to incite violence against Mr. Gandhi, describing it as a nefarious act with the intent to “murder” him. He pointed out that the government had withdrawn Mr. Gandhi’s Special Protection Group (SPG) security detail, leaving him vulnerable to potential threats. According to Mr. Venugopal, this move, along with the provocative image, revealed a well-planned conspiracy by the BJP to eliminate their most vocal critic.
BJP’s Tweet-
https://x.com/BJP4India/status/1709819569450471817?s=20
The party’s communication chief, Jairam Ramesh, echoed these sentiments, calling the image “outright dangerous.” He questioned the intentions behind such an obnoxious graphic, stating that it was clearly meant to incite violence against a Congress MP and former President of the party who has faced personal tragedies due to political violence in the past.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a prominent leader, raised the question of whether the Prime Minister and BJP chief J.P. Nadda approved of the provocative image, further intensifying the political debate.
This poster war escalated when the Congress retaliated by posting an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the caption “The Biggest Liar” on their official social media handle. Another post referred to Mr. Modi as a “Jumla Boy” who was “Going to hit the election rally soon.” The exchange of barbs between the two major political parties continued to escalate.
The BJP, on its official social media platform, responded with a poster depicting Rahul Gandhi with several heads, titled “Bharat Khatre Mein Hai [India is in danger] – A Congress party production. Directed by George Soros.” They portrayed Mr. Gandhi as a new-age Ravan, labeling him as evil and anti-Dharma, anti-Ram, with the aim to destroy Bharat (India).
The back-and-forth continued as Jairam Ramesh criticized the BJP’s actions once again, emphasizing that it was not just unacceptable but downright dangerous to produce such provocative content. He pointed out that the image was intended to incite violence against a Congress MP who had suffered personal losses due to political violence in the past.
Senior leader Anand Sharma attributed the BJP’s actions to their anxiety over Rahul Gandhi’s increasing popularity and their own diminishing political influence.
Congress takes revenge
However, amidst this heated poster war, Youth Congress chief Srinivas B.V. decided to join the fray by sharing a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, portraying him as a demon and titled it “Hindustan Khatre Mein Hain” (India is in danger). The poster depicted Mr. Modi as evil, anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, anti-people, and anti-humanity.
The ongoing poster war between the two parties reflects the highly charged and polarized political atmosphere in India. Both parties seem to be using provocative imagery and language to attack each other and gain an advantage in the eyes of the public.
This escalation not only raises concerns about the use of inflammatory content in political discourse but also highlights the deep-seated animosity and rivalry between these two major political entities.
As the poster war continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether it will lead to a more constructive and civil political dialogue or further exacerbate the already strained relations between the Congress and the BJP. In a democracy, the responsible use of political communication and discourse is crucial for fostering a healthy and informed electorate.
