PM, Sonia ‘demons’? BJP posters draw Cong ire

Yet another hoarding depicts Advani as ‘Narsimha’ killing a demon called “inflation”.

Terming it a cheap publicity stunt, state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said: “Similar tactics targeting Sonia Gandhi and her family were adopted by the saffron bridge in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. And all know what was the outcome.”

She said that in the next Lok Sabha polls too, such cheap publicity would fail to do the trick for the BJP. “This only speaks of the poor mental condition of BJP members. In desperation to get back into power, they can stoop to the lowest level.”

The BJP, however, is unrepentant. State BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi said the BJP had never adopted the policy of levelling false charges against any politician.

He said he has not seen the posters, but the two senior Congress leaders were responsible for the inflation and hike in the prices of petro products. “Objectionable words should not be used, nor any politician highlighted in a wrong manner, but targeting leaders who have failed to live up to the expectations of people is not wrong,” he said.

Former minister for urban development and cantt legislator Satish Mahana said petrol prices have gone up by Rs 20 in past five years, diesel by Rs 15 and the common man has been the worst sufferer on account of the price rise. “Through these posters, banners and hoarding, we are trying to present before the people the true picture of Congress leaders,” he added.

The motive, he said, was not to humiliate any individual, but to showcase the failure of the UPA government. “The Congress is responsible for the miseries of the people, therefore there is no harming in highlighting their failures in this way,” he said.