After facing a backlash from several Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for missing out on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s photograph from an ad, Congress on Sunday apologized calling it an “inexcusable slip up”. The full-page newspaper advertisement was for the 85th Congress Plenary Session in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur from February 24-26.
BJP came down heavily on the grand old party calling out its “vote bank politics”, and claiming Azad was missing from the poster ad because he no more holds utility for Congress.
Releasing an apology, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter and wrote, “Responsibility for it is being fixed & action will be taken. Meanwhile this is a most sincere apology from us. He will always remain an iconic & inspiring figure for us & India.”
Today an ad released by INC did not carry a photograph of Maulana Azad. It was an inexcusable slipup. Responsibility for it is being fixed & action will be taken. Meanwhile this is a most sincere apology from us. He will always remain an iconic & inspiring figure for us & India.— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 26, 2023
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to Twitter and wrote, “It is about Maulana Azad’s diminishing utility for the Congress to fetch Muslim votes. Nothing else explains this. Congress has found new icons in bigots like Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb. Congress uses Muslim icons for votebank politics.”
Additionally, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla took the “votebank politics” jibe a notch up and wondered if Afzal and Yakub are better vote catchers for Congress. “Congress now has no use for Maulana Azad! Perhaps they have found that Afzal & Yakub are better vote catchers? And look where they have placed Netaji ! In the same row as Indira & Rajiv Gandhi! Really?”
It is anything but an inexplicable faux pas. It is about Maulana Azad’s diminishing utility for the Congress to fetch Muslim votes. Nothing else explains this. Congress has found new icons in bigots like Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb. Congress uses Muslim icons for votebank 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, BJPisation of Congress is taking place”. Hitting out at Azad, Ramesh said, “Maulana Abul Kalam Azad never ever betrayed the Congress Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad. Did you see the backdrop at Raipur where Maulana Azad was prominently displayed.”
With inputs from News18
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