UP a canvas for poster war
Sharad Gupta
The Indian Express
May 6, 1999
Title: UP a canvas for poster war
Author: Sharad Gupta
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 6, 1999
The gloves are off in the fight between the Congress and the Samajwadi
Party. The stakes are high: the Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh. And the
tactics are low: each camp is preparing posters showing the other
cosying up to the BJP
So whole Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Salman Khurshid claimed that he
would "expose" the SP with a poster of Amar Singh and Lal Krishna
Advani having tea together, SP leaders are ready with the photo of
Khurshid hugging Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Forget the context, apparently anything goes in the run-upto Polls
'99. The Amar Singh-Advani scene is taken from a CII meeting while the
Khurshid-Vajpayee bearhug is after India's diplomatic victory at the
human rights contention in Geneva a few years ago.
These are now part of a poster war between the two parties in Uttar
Pradesh where each knows it could be a fight to the finish.
The Samajwadi Party said today that it would print five posters of
Khurshid with Vajpayee for every poster of Amar Singh. Why? "To prove
that Congress is more communal than the BJP".
The only beneficiary in this mud-slinging match is the BJP, watching
intently from the viewer's gallery for any division of Muslim votes
strengthens its position. "By attacking the Congress, SP is actually
helping the BJP," says Khurshid.
SP leaders have decided to publish another poster depicting former
Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and A B Vajpayee (two major actors in
the Babri Mosque demolition drama) watching television with Khurshid.
"The trio watches the Babri being demolished," will be the caption, SP
leaders say.
Khurshid disowns responsibility for publishing the poster. "Somebody
else published it and it is in our possession as well," he told The
Indian Express. "But instead of coming out with an explanation (about
actual venue of the picture), the fact that they went hunting for my
picture at Geneva (published on cover of an English magazine), shows
their own guilt".
The poster is not important. What is important is the politics of
dinner and tea taking place between SP and BJP leaders, claims
Khurshid. "Why are there no pictures of SP leaders having tea with
Congress leaders? Why is BJP congratulating the SP? Who is responsible
for scuttling the formation of an alternative Government led by Sonia
Gandhi?" he asks.
SP leaders say that if the Congress can "distort" a picture taken at a
CH meet (also attended by several Congress leaders including Jairam
Ramesh, Murli Deora, Defence Minister George Fernandes and Information
and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan) out of context why can't it
reproduce Khurshid's picture in a different context.
Amar Singh, however, says he doesn't want to be dragged in: "I cannot
join issue with Congress at such low level. Let people see how low the
Congress can stoop to woo Muslims", he said.
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