Evening Picture: Oppn targets ‘insensitive’ PM over ‘response’ to J&K military ops, BJP says INDIA’s media blacklist a ‘hit list’

PM मोदी, शहादत को कभी समझ नहीं पाएंगे। pic.twitter.com/hzQhfEF4qz

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 15, 2023

मैं एक शहीद परिवार से आता हूं, इसलिए शहादत का मतलब समझता हूं। pic.twitter.com/Odw5ObQICL

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 15, 2023

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Janata Dal (United) also targeted the BJP, sharing visuals of mourners juxtaposed with the PM greeting crowds at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. The parties called Modi “insensitive”.

जब शहीदों की माताओं-बहनों की आंखे नम थी

तब Modi अपने ऊपर फूल की बरसात करवा कर जश्न मना रहा था pic.twitter.com/kWuEtHdv7Q

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) September 15, 2023

एक तरफ आंसू हैं, गुस्सा है, बहादुरी है, बलिदान है।

दूसरी तरफ संवेदनहीनता है, निर्लज्जता है, कायरता है।#ModiFailsIndia #BJPFailsIndia pic.twitter.com/6nxO5NrrTN

— Janata Dal (United) (@Jduonline) September 15, 2023

The Congress also posted a video of Rahul in Ladakh meeting former servicemen critical of the “One Rank, One Pension” system and claimed the Agniveer soldier recruitment programme was “weakening the Indian Army”.

‘अग्निवीर हिन्दुस्तान की सेना को कमजोर कर रहा है’

अपने लद्दाख दौरे पर जननायक @RahulGandhi जी ने अग्निवीर, वन रैंक-वन पेंशन (OROP) के साथ ही सैनिकों से जुड़े जरूरी मुद्दों पर पूर्व सैनिकों से बात की।

देखिए पूरा वीडियो: https://t.co/8tKtf3TTFh pic.twitter.com/7Buph2EppS

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 15, 2023

In response, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference that Congress was making “anti-national statements” by calling for “talks with Pakistan”. The Opposition party understands “what is in the mind of terrorists”, he alleged. The BJP handle on X labelled former PM Jawaharlal Nehru “weak” and claimed Modi’s surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir showed he knew “how to fix (terrorism)”.

Nehru was a weak Prime Minister but PM Modi is like, “Hold my chai! I know how to fix it…”#ModiHaiToMumkinHai pic.twitter.com/cpXsAMqB6i

— BJP (@BJP4India) September 15, 2023

जम्मू कश्मीर में हुए आतंकी हमले के बीच कुछ नेता देश विरोधी बयान दे रहे हैं।

कांग्रेस नेता सैफ़ुद्दीन सोज ने कहा है कि हिंदुस्तान को पाकिस्तान से न केवल बात करनी चाहिए, अपितु आतंकवादियों के दिमाग में क्या चल रहा है, उसे भी समझने को कोशिश करनी चाहिए।

फारुख अब्दुल्ला और बाकी… pic.twitter.com/L1FUQXyBtU

— BJP (@BJP4India) September 15, 2023

As parties marked the International Day of Democracy on Friday, the BJP claimed Modi was the “most trusted leader in the world”, based on a survey on global leaders conducted by US-based agency Morning Consult. The BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya also compared the INDIA coalition blacklisting 14 news anchors to curbs on press freedoms during the Emergency era while Patra also called the “boycott list” a “hit list”.

Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi remains the most trusted leader in the world! pic.twitter.com/buhDNTXGxm

— BJP (@BJP4India) September 15, 2023

Jawaharlal Nehru brought the first Amendment (in Article 19(2)) and imposed “reasonable restriction” on free speech.

His daughter Indira Gandhi, as Prime Minister, clamped down on media during Emergency.

Rajiv Gandhi introduced the controversial Indian Post Office (Amendment)… pic.twitter.com/JE8e324Bk5

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 15, 2023

I.N.D.I. Alliance ने पत्रकारों का ‘Boycott List’ नहीं उनका ‘Hit List’ निकाला है। pic.twitter.com/aDybfpbErU

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) September 15, 2023

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Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary K C Venugopal defended the INDIA bloc’s boycott, asking the “G-14” news anchors if they receive instructions from the PM’s Office. While the Congress also highlighted India’s low rank on some democracy indexes, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) claimed “democracy scares (Modi)”.

The G-14 Group of Anchors need to understand the difference between our choice to skip their hate-peddling circus and censorship of the kind that happens through the PMO every morning.

I challenge them to answer – do you not receive instructions from PMO officials everyday?…

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) September 15, 2023

In recent years, India’s score has declined significantly in the EIU Democracy Index and was ranked 108th on the Electoral Democracy Index in 2023.

On the Int’l day of democracy, let’s pledge to defend its pillars which have been facing a consistent onslaught in this regime. pic.twitter.com/eIJAFBHVzK

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 15, 2023

Scared.

Needless to say, him. #InternationalDayOfDemocracy pic.twitter.com/Yt0kySBCD4

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 15, 2023

The TMC also criticised the government’s Bill on appointing chief election commissioners that seeks to replace the Chief Justice of India with a Cabinet minister in the selection committee, claiming the “unilateral move will bulldoze our democracy”.

Vinash Kaale Viprit Buddhi!@BJP4India‘s open defiance of the Supreme Court verdict on the selection of Election Commissioners is triggered by fear of their imminent defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Hon’ble Chairperson @MamataOfficial has called for a staunch opposition to…

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 15, 2023

The Opposition continued its attacks on the government’s economic record, with the Congress alleging that the real GDP numbers may be inflated as they do not accurately reflect the impact of inflation on GDP growth.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said investment and exports have also slowed dramatically, which reinforces the lived reality of the vast majority of Indians — “that all is not well”.

He shared an opinion piece by the Modi government’s former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian on the current economic scenario.

When headline management takes precedence over serious policy making, the government starts to believe its own tall stories of exuberant growth.

The reality is far more sobering as reasoned out clinically by the Modi govt’s former Chief Economic Advisor.

The real GDP numbers… https://t.co/r0ODJAuzDe

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 15, 2023

तू इधर उधर की न बात कर, ये बता कि क़ाफ़िला क्यूँ लुटा ?

मोदी जी, इधर-उधर की बातें कर के जनता का ध्यान, ‘महँगाई द्वारा महालूट’, से हटाना चाहतें हैं।

मोदी सरकार की महालूट के चलते, कमरतोड़ महँगाई का सबसे अधिक खामियाज़ा 20% सबसे ग़रीब लोगों को भुगतना पड़ रहा है।

खान-पान की… pic.twitter.com/abQbF85Wcb

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 15, 2023

Even as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam continues to defend Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his Sanatan Dharma comments, MLA and state minister P Thiaga Rajan shared an article claiming Modi’s policies were increasing regional divides. The MLA added that “large financial transfers from south to north” were not leading to “improvement in the north.”

“The south is richer, safer, healthier, better educated, and less awful to women and Dalits than the north (see chart).”

But we do not begrudge large financial transfers from South to North. We are sad that they do not lead to improvement in the North😢https://t.co/FlncDeNTdJ

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) September 14, 2023

Meanwhile, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee continued her visit to Spain, where she announced a collaboration with the country’s national football league to set up an academy in Bengal. The TMC handle on X shared more videos of the CM walking in the streets of Madrid and even playing the tune of ‘Phule Phule Dhole Dhole’ on the piano.

Be it India or Spain, fitness remains a priority for Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial.

She went on a morning walk in Madrid, embracing the serene mornings of the beautiful country.

A step towards good health and fostering meaningful collaborations! pic.twitter.com/iWBdZV3HnE

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 15, 2023

It was a delight to witness Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial playing the melodious notes of ‘Phule Phule Dhole Dhole’ on a Piano in Spain.

Truly mesmerizing!

Few glimpses 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/pg9QwRMOvH

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 15, 2023