Former Pakistan minister reshares Congress' 'Gayab' poster with 'Modi missing' caption, BJP reacts

The Congress stirred a fresh controversy with a poster that says ‘gayab’ (missing) over a bandhgala kurta, churidar pyjama and a black footwear.

After the Congress posted an image of a bandhgala kurta, churidar pyjama and a black footwear and the caption “at the time of responsibility – Gayab” in Hindi, the BJP said this was not merely a political statement.

While it received a severe backlash from many Indians, Pakistan’s former minister re-shared the poster with the hashtag "Naughty Congress".  Former minister Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry wrote, “Had heard about missing horns from donkey’s head, but here Modi has gone missing."

“The Congress leaves little doubt with its use of “Sar Tan Se Juda” imagery. This is not merely a political statement; it is a dog whistle aimed at its Muslim vote bank and a veiled incitement against the Prime Minister,” said BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya on X.

The BJP said this is not the first time that the Congress has “resorted to such tactics”. “Rahul Gandhi, on multiple occasions, has both instigated and justified violence toward the Prime Minister. Yet the Congress will never succeed, for the Prime Minister enjoys the love and blessings of millions of Indians. On the contrary, proverbially speaking, if anyone’s neck has been slashed, it is the Congress — now reduced to a headless hydra, flailing without direction,” he said.

The poster was also shared from the Congress regional handles. It is seen as an indication that the Centre should take responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack that led to the killing of at least 26 people on April 22.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the Congress not only speaks like Pakistan but its working culture and customs have also started resembling that of Islamabad’s.

“Congress party has shared an image in which PM Narendra Modi’s head is missing — similar to Pakistani envoy’s throat-slit gesture at Indians. Congress is speaking the language of Pakistanis and behaving like terrorists," he said.

Bengal BJP leader Lakshmi Singh, replied to Congress with a poster that has an image of Prime Minister Modi and a message that loosely translates to, “It’s time to destroy even the remaining land of terrorists." With the poster, Singh wrote, “Soon both Congress and Pakistan will go amiss."

The Congress shared the poster after its MLA Vijay Wadettiwar was slammed over his comments questioning the account of the victims of the Pahalgam tragedy. “The government should take responsibility for the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack. They (the government) are saying that terrorists killed people after asking them (about their religion). Do terrorists have time for all this?... Some people say that this did not happen. Terrorists have no caste or religion. Catch those who are responsible and take action. This is the sentiment of the country,” ANI quoted Wadettiwar as saying.