Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
A political poster war broke out on Tuesday with the BJP and the Congress dragging each other’s top leaders into comparisons with Pakistani figures Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif.
What started as a jab at Rahul Gandhi snowballed into a full-blown visual crossfire, with both parties accusing each other of siding with the enemy.
The spark was lit by BJP’s IT head Amit Malviya.
Taking to X, Malviya shared a poster that placed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alongside Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, captioned with the words “One Agenda.”
“What’s next for Rahul Gandhi? The Nishan-e-Pakistan?” Malviya asked.
In a follow-up post, Malviya said: “He hasn’t congratulated the Prime Minister on the flawless Operation Sindoor, which unmistakably showcases India’s dominance. Instead, he repeatedly asks how many jets we lost—a question that has already been addressed in the DGMO briefings. Curiously, he hasn’t once inquired about how many Pakistani jets were shot down during the conflict, or how many were destroyed while parked in their hangars when Indian forces pounded Pakistani airbases.”
The attack wasn’t left unanswered.
Hours later, the Bihar Congress struck back with a poster of its own — this time placing Prime Minister Narendra Modi next to former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.
One word ran across the poster: “Biryani.”
The caption? “Ek biryani desh par bhari.”
This was the Congress’s way of reminding the BJP of PM Modi’s past meetings with Sharif, even as the ruling party tries to frame Rahul Gandhi’s questions as disloyalty.
The timing of the poster war is crucial. It comes amid escalating debate over Operation Sindoor and US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the government of being silent on the operation’s costs and claimed India gave advance notice to Pakistan. He called it a “crime,” referring to remarks made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The BJP responded by calling Congress leaders “poster boys of Pakistan.”
BJP MP Sambit Patra said, “The Congress leaders, including Mr. Kharge and Mr. Gandhi, are giving ‘oxygen’ to Pakistan in its attempt to build a narrative against India.”
Congress didn’t hold back.
National spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed wrote on X: “Asim Munir is nothing but a terrorist in army dress. Putting a picture of LoP @RahulGandhi Ji — who holds a constitutional post — alongside him is an act of sedition! Does @narendramodi support this? My leader extended full support to the government, and this is what the ruling party is resorting to.”
Social media users have also given their two cents on the issue.
One X user wrote in response to Congress filing a criminal case against Malviya, “Instead of filing FIRs they should get their act together. Amit Malviya might have just shared this poster, but the entire country feels the same. Congress and especially Rahul Gandhi is behaving like the official spokesperson of Pakistan. Shame on him.”
Another user, said: “Idiotic Malviya is putting up a poster comparing LOP Sri Rahul Gandhi to a terrorist in Pak uniform when LOP pledged complete support to Govt!! This is sedition and action should be taken against him.”
