Inside story of Congress's 'Gayab' debacle: How a tweet sparked row in party

India Today

01-05-2025

The Congress courted controversy on Tuesday when it posted a cartoon of a headless figure dressed like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and captioned it as 'Gayab' (vanished). The party posted the controversial poster in response to PM Modi's absence from the all-party meeting held to discuss last week's Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Congress has struggled to maintain a unified message. While the party has been trying to send out a message of solidarity, a series of statements by senior leaders and social media posts disrupted the narrative. The 'Gayab' poster targeting PM Modi went viral and sparked and internal backlash.advertisementThe post, originating from the social media department under the Congress's media wing, caught many by surprise for contradicting the party's public messaging. The cartoon was deleted after a huge backlash.DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE?
When the cartoon went viral, the Congress's post drew sharp criticism online and discomfort within the party, with many calling it distasteful. Despite internal unease, the Congress's social media team defended the post through unofficial handles.
According to sources, social media head Supriya Shrinate refused to delete it even after senior leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera urged her to reconsider. It was only after Rahul Gandhi, during a visit to Raebareli, intervened personally that the post was finally taken down.REPEAT OFFENDERadvertisementThe Congress's social media department has previously courted controversy. During the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra, it posted an image of burning brown shorts targeting the RSS. In another case, it misquoted veteran leader Sonia Gandhi during the Karnataka elections, attributing the word "sovereignty" to her, prompting attacks from the BJP.Shrinate was also at the centre of another row when her Instagram handle posted a comment mocking actor-politician Kangana Ranaut's candidacy in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi. Shrinate later claimed she wasn't behind the post.PARTY WARY OF REPEATED GAFFESFollowing the recent 'Gayab' controversy, the Congress issued a rare warning that included its social media wing. A letter from KC Venugopal directed all leaders and official handles to strictly adhere to the party line and avoid off-the-cuff remarks, calling any deviation a breach of discipline."The Congress has long struggled with leaders chasing publicity, but such missteps on social media magnify the damage," said a senior party leader. With the nation in mourning, Congress finds itself in damage-control mode - again.