- Thursday, May 09, 2024
The ruling party mocked the main opposition outfit’s manifesto for allegedly picking pictures of foreign countries such as the US and Thailand.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (5) tore into the opposition Indian National Congress after the latter released its manifesto for the upcoming general elections for allegedly using pictures from foreign countries such as the United States and Thailand.
Sudhanshu Trivedi, senior national spokesperson of the Hindu nationalist party and an MP, said during a press conference that the manifesto’s seriousness showed in the selection of the pictures used in the document. He also mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying a picture used in his party’s manifesto was from his “favourite destination” Thailand.
“There is a picture on water management in the Congress manifesto. This picture is of the Buffalo River in New York state. Till now they have not been able to find out who was tweeting from their social media chairperson’s Twitter, but who sent them this picture? Under the Environment section, a picture from Rahul Gandhi’s favoured destination, Thailand has been put. Who is putting all this in their manifesto?” Trivedi asked.
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He also said while it is not a big issue that wrong pictures have been used but asked why pictures of foreign entities were used.
“Until now, they have been going abroad and defaming India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But now they are borrowing foreign photos for their manifesto,” he was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Gandhi has been slammed by the ruling party and its supporters in the past for targeting Modi at events overseas.
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The BJP also uses the Italian origin of Sonia Gandhi, mother of Rahul Gandhi and former chief of the Congress, to attack the opposition party and accuse it of serving foreign interests over the national ones.
Amit Malviya, chief of the BJP’s national information and technology department and a fierce critic of the Congress, also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi over his foreign trips mocking that the Congress was looking more to make a holiday itinerary for its leader instead of preparing a manifesto for India.
“What else explains using a picture of Thailand under the Environment section? It shouldn’t be a surprise if Rahul Gandhi dashes off to Thailand, for yet another holiday, soon after the election,” Malviya wrote in an X post.
Looks like the Congress forgot that it is preparing a manifesto for India and not putting together a holiday itinerary for Rahul Gandhi!
What else explains using picture of Thailand under the Environment section?
It shouldn’t be a surprise if Rahul Gandhi dashes off to Thailand,… pic.twitter.com/5MsNTCjFuc— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 5, 2024
Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of the north-eastern state of Assam and a former Congress leader, also reacted to the manifesto and asked whether a foreign agency was fired to prepare it.
“Cong manifesto promises to remove an elected State Govt, restore triple talaq, makes a U turn on OPS, has no delivery date on any of its promises, lacks a plan to harness benefits of Industry 4.0 and worst of all passes pictures from Thailand & America as that of India,” he posted on X.
Cong manifesto promises to remove an elected State Govt, restore triple talaq, makes a U turn on OPS, has no delivery date on any of its promises, lacks a plan to harness benefits of Industry 4.0 and worst of all passes pictures from Thailand & America as that of India.
Have…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) April 5, 2024
Earlier on Friday, the Grand-Old Party of India released its manifesto for the elections beginning April 19 focusing on ‘Paanch Nyay’ (five pillars of justice) — ‘Yuva Nyay’ (justice for youth), ‘Naari Nyay’ (justice for women), ‘Kisaan Nyay’ (justice for farmers), ‘Shramik Nyay’ (justice for labourers) and ‘Hissedari Nyay’ (justice in opportunities as per population percentage).
The manifesto was released in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram and other leaders.
Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the upcoming elections focussing on the five ‘pillars of justice’. The manifesto was released by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Trivedi also took a dig at the Congress for naming its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’ (Document of Justice) saying it did injustice to all sections of the country over the years.
The Congress governed India for more than five decades since it gained Independence in 1947.
