Last Update: February 27, 2023, 09:53 IST
Advertisement for the 85th plenary session of Congress (Twitter/@KDanishAli)
Full page advertisements published in dailies featured Congress leaders of the past – Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and others.
After facing backlash from several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for not having a picture of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in an advertisement, the Congress on Sunday apologised, calling it a “forgivable mistake”. The full page newspaper ad was for the 85th Congress. Plenary session on February 24-26 at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The BJP lashed out at the grand old party for its “vote bank politics”, claiming that the Azad posters were missing from the advertisement as they were no longer of any utility to the Congress.
Issuing an apology, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter and wrote, “Responsibility for this is being fixed and action will be taken. Meanwhile this is our most sincere apology. He will always remain an iconic and inspirational figure for us and India.”
An advertisement released by the Congress today did not carry the picture of Maulana Azad. It was an unforgivable slipup. Its responsibility is being fixed and action will be taken. Meanwhile this is our most sincere apology. He will always remain an iconic and inspirational figure for us and India.- Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 26, 2023
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on Twitter, “It’s about Maulana Azad’s diminishing usefulness to Congress to garner Muslim votes.” It doesn’t explain anything else. The Congress has got new icons in the form of fanatics like Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb. Congress uses Muslim icons for vote bank politics.”
Additionally, BJP leader Shahzad Poonawalla took “vote-bank politics” a notch higher and wondered whether Afzal and Yakub would be better vote grabbers for the Congress. “Congress has no use for Maulana Azad now! Perhaps they have found that Afzal and Yakub are better vote grabbers? And look where they have placed Netaji! In line with Indira and Rajiv Gandhi! Really?”
It is anything but an inexplicable faux pas. It is about the diminishing utility of Maulana Azad to garner Muslim votes for the Congress. It doesn’t explain anything else. The Congress has got new icons in the form of fanatics like Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb. Congress uses Muslim icons for vote bank politics. https://t.co/chpsP09jKR pic.twitter.com/SBelnSZXzC— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 26, 2023
Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also attacked the Congress, saying that “after my exit from the party, Congress is getting BJPised”. Hitting out at Azad, Ramesh said, “Maulana Abul Kalam Azad never betrayed Congress Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad. Did you see the background of Raipur where Maulana Azad was prominently displayed.
Notably, Congress MP Manish Tewari also criticized the advertisement for not having Azad’s picture. He tweeted, “@INCIndia consists of a group of Muslim leaders who fought against the divisive tendencies especially within their community that led to the creation of Pakistan & dedicated themselves to the inclusive idea of India. One wants to wind up his contribution from the annals of history.”
Further, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader asked Rahul Gandhi To look for “RSS elements” in the Congress, responsible for the disappearance of Azad’s photograph.
Full page advertisements published in dailies on the third day of the plenary session featured Congress leaders of the past – Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, BR Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv . Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Sarojini Naidu.
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