Bengaluru, Apr 29 (UNI) In a sharp political attack amid rising tensions over the 'Gayab' poster campaign, Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of consistently using national crises, including the Pulwama attack and the present security situation, for electoral advantage, while systematically evading media scrutiny and democratic accountability.
"Pulwama helped him during the Lok Sabha elections, Godhra helped him in Gujarat, and now he is using the current crisis for the Bihar elections. For Mr Modi, everything is about political gain," Rao said, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru.
Rao's remarks came in defence of the Congress party's controversial 'Gayab' posters targeting the Prime Minister, which appeared in several cities and sparked fierce debate. The posters portrayed Modi as 'missing in action' during critical national moments, prompting backlash from BJP supporters and party leaders.
Responding to the criticism, Rao said the posters were not personal attacks but a symbolic protest against the Prime Minister's habitual silence during crises. "Instead of addressing the nation or answering tough questions from the media, he chooses to hold rallies and issue one-way statements on social media. This is not leadership; it’s political opportunism," Rao said.
He alleged that during the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the Prime Minister continued shooting a film at Jim Corbett National Park, even after the attack came to light. "Now again, when the nation seeks answers, he delivers a fiery speech to rally voters. This shows to what depths Mr Modi is willing to sink," he added.
The Congress leader questioned why the Prime Minister has not been held accountable by the media for recent security failures and what he described as a lack of statesmanship.
"In any other democracy, a leader would face the press, take questions, and explain his decisions. But Mr Modi never does that. He speaks, then disappears. The media lets him get away with it. If the media is too scared to question him, what can we do?” Rao said.
He also defended the remarks made by senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Pahalgam terror attack. "Siddaramaiah is one of the tallest political leaders in this country. His patriotism should not be questioned by people who don’t even understand what the word means," he said.
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