Kolkata, Nov 4 Posters bearing a photograph of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi apparently asleep in Parliament have appeared at several locations in Salt Lake near here, triggering a controversy, with the party claiming that the campaign reflected the BJP’s anxiety over his growing political prominence inside and outside Parliament.
The posters, which do not carry the name of any political party or organisation, were spotted near Karunamoyee Bus Terminus and Karunamoyee Crossing, a key area in the satellite township.
They feature a picture of Gandhi alongside the caption, “Should the country have a leader like this?”
Locals said the posters were not visible in the area until Wednesday evening but appeared at several locations overnight.
The identity of those behind the campaign remains unknown, with the BJP denying any involvement in putting up the posters.
The development comes a day after BJP national president Nitin Nabin led a major march in Kolkata under the party’s “Save Democracy” campaign, targeting the Congress and other opposition parties over their protests against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Nabin had launched a sharp attack on Gandhi during the rally, accusing him of undermining democratic institutions and questioning the Election Commission’s integrity.
However, no such posters targeting the Congress leader were noticed during the march.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar accused the BJP of attempting to tarnish Gandhi’s image through what he described as a stealth campaign.
Sarkar alleged that the posters reflected the BJP’s anxiety over Gandhi’s growing political prominence, both inside and outside Parliament.
He said the campaign would only reinforce the Congress’s relevance in West Bengal, while accusing the BJP of resorting to tactics aimed at discrediting a national opposition leader.
No political party has claimed responsibility for putting them up.
(PTI News)
