NEW DELHI: India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is under fire for usingphotos of Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in its electionposters.
According to Indian media reportslink,a banner carrying photographs of BJP chief Amit Shah, other partycandidates with Abhinandan surfaced in Delhi’s Mehrauli area on Saturday,with the catchphrases, *‘Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai’* and *‘NaMo Again’*,leading the Indian Election Commission to issue an advisory.
After pictures of the poster went viral, the Indian Defence Ministrybrought the matter to the notice of the election commission, which askedthe political parties not to use photographs of defence personnel inposters used for poll campaigning.
On March 1, the Pakistani government had released the Indian pilot who wascaptured when his MiG-21 was among two Indian military aircraft shot downby Pakistan Air Force after they ventured into the Pakistani airspace, as a”gesture of peace” towards New Delhi.
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Social media users criticised the party and called it “shameful” and a”cheap poll trick”.
Journalist Rama Lakshmi questioned the political party and asked, “Is theBJP allowed to use Abhinandan in its posters? It is ‘a slippery slope’.”
