New Delhi: A poster war has broken out between the BJP and the Congress, which began with the former calling Rahul Gandhi the new age ‘Ravan’. The Congress responded with a poster referring to PM Narendra Modi as ‘Modanav’.
‘Bharat khatre mein hai’ (India is in danger) read the BJP’s poster showing a bearded Rahul with 10 heads. Below that, the word ‘Ravan’ had been typed out. The party further called it a ‘Congress Party Production’ that had been ‘directed’ by George Soros.
“The new age Ravan is here. He is Evil. Anti Dharma. Anti Ram. His aim is to destroy Bharat,” wrote the party in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The new age Ravan is here. He is Evil. Anti Dharma. Anti Ram. His aim is to destroy Bharat. pic.twitter.com/AwDKxJpDHB
— BJP (@BJP4India) October 5, 2023
The Congress was quick to respond. President of the Indian Youth Congress, Srinivas BV, floated another poster that read, ‘Hindustan khatre mein hai,’ with a picture of PM Modi photoshopped to look like a ‘devil.’
The new age MODANAV is here. He is Evil. Anti Democracy. Anti Constitution. Anti People. Anti Humanity.
His only aim is to destroy Bharat & the idea of INDIA. https://t.co/eEXAOWtlaY pic.twitter.com/xaTYJ59qxl
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) October 5, 2023
The Congress’ wrote that the poster was ‘produced’ by the ‘Bhrasht Jumlebaaj Party’ and ‘directed’ by ‘Param Mitra Adani.’
“The new age MODANAV is here. He is Evil. Anti Democracy. Anti Constitution. Anti People. Anti Humanity. His only aim is to destroy Bharat & the idea of INDIA,” wrote Srinivas.
Reacting to the BJP’s poster, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said Rahul Gandhi has always stood side by side with the people of India. “How can you call such a person Ravan? The people of India are understanding the BJP’s panic. The way Rahul Gandhi has been active in recent days has frazzled the BJP. On the other hand, the acceptance of the INDIA alliance is also on the rise,” Pratapagarhi added.
“This is the reason PM Modi says (about the INDIA alliance) Ghamandiya (
Reacting to the BJP’s poster, Congress MP and General Secretary in-charge for communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that the “real intent” of the poster was to incite violence against Rahul Gandhi.
“What is the real intent of an atrocious graphic portraying @RahulGandhi as Ravan by the BJP’s official handle? It is clearly intended to incite and provoke violence against a Congress MP and a former President of the party, whose father and grandmother were assassinated by forces that want to divide India. It is one thing for the PM to give evidence daily of being a pathological liar and of suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder. But for him to get his party to produce something this obnoxious is not just completely unacceptable, but is downright dangerous. We will not be intimidated!,” wrote Ramesh.
What is the real intent of an atrocious graphic portraying @RahulGandhi as Ravan by the BJP’s official handle? It is clearly intended to incite and provoke violence against a Congress MP and a former President of the party, whose father and grandmother were assassinated by forces…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 5, 2023
Other Congress leaders also compared the BJP’s poster to a 1945 cartoon published in Agrani magazine that showed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, and other Congress leaders as the various heads of Ravan. The same cartoon portrayed Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Veer Savarkar as Ram and Laxman trying to slay Ravan with an arrow marked “Akhand Bharat.”
Once upon a time, your elders had published a similar cartoon. Among others, it showed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru as heads of Ravan;
And showed Savarkar & Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as Ram and Laxman.
Decades later, you are forced to bow… https://t.co/RjpgJQww91 pic.twitter.com/2DZ8vOBAhD
— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) October 5, 2023
“Once upon a time, your elders had published a similar cartoon. Among others, it showed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru as heads of Ravan; And showed Savarkar & Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as Ram and Laxman. Decades later, you are forced to bow to, publicly admire and venerate most of them, whom your elders portrayed as Ravan. Today, you try to appropriate their legacy as yours. Just wait for some time, same thing will happen again. @RahulGandhi is walking on a path that will force you to bow once again,” wrote Congress leader Gurdeep Sappal in a post on X.
Also read: ‘Journalism can’t be prosecuted as terrorism’ — media groups write to CJI on NewsClick raids