Congress’s social media strategists possible believed that they had crafted a masterstroke-sharply derisive, attention-grabbing, and immediately shareable content material. The put up featured a headless portrait of Prime Minister, accompanied by the catchline “Jimmedari ke samay – GAYAB“, with out explicitly naming him.

Whereas it did seize consideration, it additionally offered ammunition for influential figures in Pakistan, who seized the chance to mock Modi and push their false narratives. The put up’s amplification by forces hostile to India’s pursuits handed the BJP a possibility to strike again.

Roughly 24 hours later-after inner deliberations, it seems-the Congress deleted the put up. However by then, the harm was achieved. The BJP linked Modi’s headless depiction to the unconventional Islamist slogan “Sar Tan Se Juda”.

Including to the controversy, a number of Congress leaders made questionable remarks – elevating doubts about potential Indian navy motion in opposition to Pakistan and contradicting eyewitness accounts of latest terror assault victims, reportedly focused primarily based on faith. The backlash prompted Congress to difficulty an advisory urging its leaders to chorus from commenting on such delicate issues. However when senior AICC officers or Karnataka’s Chief Minister communicate out of flip, the problem transcends communication – it factors to deeper structural flaws throughout the social gathering.

This episode is one more reminder of Congress’s behavior of self-inflicted harm, notably on nationwide safety points. Over time, the social gathering has developed a status – whether or not inadvertently or in any other case – of being perceived as misaligned with public sentiment on nationwide pursuits.

Take into account the latest Pahalgam terror assault, the place 25 vacationers and an area pony handler had been killed. Eyewitnesses reported that the victims had been particularly focused after being recognized as Hindus. But, some senior Congress leaders floated different narratives that, suspiciously, echoed Pakistan’s model of occasions.

The Congress should confront a tough query: How did it enable a notion of weak point – and even hostility – on nationwide safety to take root within the minds of many Indians? That is particularly perplexing provided that, regardless of the UPA authorities’s failure to take decisive motion after the 2008 Mumbai assaults, public assist for Congress remained intact.

Maybe Congress’s misreading of public sentiment endured whilst attitudes developed below Modi’s management after 2014. Rahul Gandhi’s go to to JNU in 2016 – to assist college students protesting disciplinary motion, a few of whom had been accused of chanting “Azadi” and “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge” – didn’t go unnoticed. Earlier, Congress backed the “Award Wapsi” marketing campaign, which many noticed as politically motivated.

After the 2016 surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of “khoon ki dalali” (buying and selling in troopers’ blood). Following the 2019 Balakot airstrike, he demanded proof that the strikes occurred-claims eagerly amplified by Pakistani media. In each instances, Gandhi’s statements, geared toward Modi, seemingly undermined the armed forces – crossing a crimson line on nationwide safety.

Congress’s official statements and remarks by its leaders throughout such incidents have repeatedly appeared out of sync with nationwide sentiment. One senior Congress chief even used derogatory remarks about then-Military Chief Common Bipin Rawat, a comment later retracted after widespread condemnation.

In 2017, a Chinese language embassy bulletin revealed that Rahul Gandhi met the Chinese language Ambassador. Congress initially denied the assembly however later admitted it, calling it routine diplomatic engagement. Nevertheless, questions arose over why it wasn’t coordinated with the Indian authorities. Notably, the Chinese language embassy later deleted the assertion from its web site.

Rahul Gandhi’s forceful-but usually speculative-remarks about Chinese language incursions in Ladakh, together with graphic descriptions of Indian troopers being crushed, had been interpreted by many as aligning extra with Chinese language propaganda than Indian pursuits.

The BJP’s declare that Congress’s “headless Modi” put up resembled radical slogans like “Sar Tan Se Juda” gained traction largely as a result of this wasn’t an remoted incident.

Seen collectively, these cases reinforce the notion that Congress constantly misreads nationwide sentiment-particularly on safety issues-frequently discovering itself on the unsuitable aspect of public opinion.

(The writer is Consulting Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the private opinions of the writer