BJP slams Guj Cong on poll ad campaign

The BJP on Monday slammed the Gujarat Congress for being 'insensitive' and 'dishonest' in their election campaign highlighting the issue of malnutrition in the state.

The Narendra Modi led BJP has alleged the picture Congress used for a poll advertisement was 'lifted' from a website of a Christian organisation depicting a Sri Lankan malnourished child.

Gujarat Congress party's "Join hands for change" advertisements which appeared in some newspapers and posted on its website claims that 45 per cent of children in the state were malnourished. A photograph in the ad also showed a malnourished child in the arms of a woman.

"The Congress is desperate, and it picking up any issue to reach out to people. They are welcome to raise any issue for a debate. But they are trying to cash in on a issue like malnutrition for which the BJP government in the state is committed to address," said BJP national spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman in Ahmedabad. "The Congress should engage in debate with far more honesty. Picking upon a heart wrenching picture which does not even remotely represent Gujarat shows the desperation of the party," she said.

Sitaraman said that Congress was trying to undermine the development of Gujarat. "One can't build story on lies. Congress should come clean on the issue and stop this charade of falsehood," she added.

She said that the BJP condemned the Congress's act and demanded an apology from the party for being 'insensitive' to the issue of malnutrition.