Kolkata, 03 November (H.S.) : Political tensions between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have escalated once again in West Bengal following the overnight appearance of posters in Kolkata's eastern township of Salt Lake, depicting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi ostensibly sleeping in Parliament. The emergence of these posters closely followed a major political rally led by BJP National President Nitin Nabin in the city. According to local residents, the posters were put up under the cover of darkness between the Karunamoyee Bus Terminus and the Karunamoyee crossing. Featuring a photograph of Gandhi, the posters carry a caption questioning whether a leader of the country should be like this. The origin of the posters remains shrouded in mystery, fueling widespread speculation, particularly because no such campaign material was visible during the BJP's 'Save Democracy' march earlier that day.

It is noteworthy that during the rally, Nitin Nabin had launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, warning that the Congress would fade into complete political irrelevance if it failed to learn from its past mistakes.

The controversy has triggered a fierce debate on social media. Meanwhile, senior state Congress leaders have put up a united front to defend Gandhi and strongly counter the BJP's narrative. Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar stated that the appearance of these posters indicates that the state BJP leaders share their central leadership's nervousness over Gandhi's growing prominence both inside and outside Parliament. According to Sarkar, this campaign inadvertently signals to voters that the Congress remains highly relevant in Bengal's political landscape. Furthermore, senior Pradesh Congress Committee leader Soumya Aich Roy termed the act a fascist tactic aimed at tarnishing the image of a national leader. He alleged that after failing to diminish Gandhi's public image through conventional means, the BJP's digital machinery has resorted to such stealthy maneuvers.

Amidst this unfolding controversy, the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee announced that its official Instagram account has been suspended following posts criticizing the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Ashok Bhattacharya, chairman of the state Congress's social media and digital communication department, strongly condemned the suspension. Labeling it an autocratic attempt to silence opposition voices, he firmly asserted that the party's digital campaign against the BJP will continue unhindered.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh