In a dramatic escalation of political hostilities, the Congress and BJP clashed fiercely this week following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 dead. What began as a brief period of unity in mourning has now morphed into a bitter war of words, images, and accusations.
The Congress drew first blood Monday night with a provocative post on social media platform X. The post featured an edited photograph from an old official event—now with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conspicuously absent. The caption read simply: "In times of need, missing." The post was widely interpreted as a sharp dig at Modi’s absence from an all-party meeting convened by his own government to discuss the response to the Pahalgam attack. Instead of attending the meeting, the Prime Minister was in Bihar addressing a government event ahead of the state elections, where he condemned the attack and warned terrorists in a speech delivered in English—seen by many as aimed at garnering international attention.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who attended the all-party meeting, confirmed he questioned the PM’s absence. "The first question I raised... when the government convenes a meeting, the PM should be present," he told reporters, underlining the Congress’ concerns about leadership visibility during national crises.
The BJP, however, did not take the jab lying down.
By Tuesday evening, the ruling party hit back with its own post, loaded with symbolism and insinuation. BJP national spokesperson RP Singh shared a photograph of a man dressed in a tight white T-shirt and black trousers, wearing a Nehru cap—with his back to the camera and a large knife hidden behind him. The caption: "Pakistan's friend." While the man was not named, the outfit and timing made it apparent that the post was aimed at Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP followed up with even sharper rhetoric. National spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia took the offensive further by labelling the Congress as "Lashkar-e-Pakistan Congress", directly linking the party to the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group’s proxy, The Resistance Front, has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
The BJP accused Congress and Rahul Gandhi of “betraying the country” by allegedly trying to appease Muslim voters and undermining national security. The ‘Pakistan’s yaar’ (Pakistan’s friend) jibe sought to revive long-standing allegations that Congress leaders have been soft on Pakistan-backed terror.
These exchanges mark a clear end to the political ceasefire that followed the deadly attack. Just days earlier, Kharge had publicly urged Congress leaders to avoid politicising the tragedy, stating: "This is not the time for politics... it is a moment for collective resolve."
That brief period of bipartisan solidarity has now given way to a fierce rhetorical bout. With emotions running high and elections looming in key states, the political narrative has swiftly shifted from unity to blame, with both parties seeking to claim the mantle of national interest while accusing the other of opportunism and betrayal.
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