BJP, Congress spar over advertisement featuring Rahul

The BJP Friday accused the Congress of copying lines from its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's 2011 slogan in an advertisement featuring Rahul Gandhi. The Congress denied the plagiarism charge.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Meenkashi Lekhi alleged the Congress had copied "Main nahin, hum (not me but us)" from a slogan used by Modi.

"This slogan was used by him (Modi) in February 2011. When you lift something, the basic rule is that you should give credit," Lekhi told IANS.

She said Congress was showing "a bankruptcy of ideas".

The Congress, however, denied the charge. Party spokesperson Shobha Ojha said the party had always spoken of inclusive politics. "Congress is all about we," she said.

Answering queries, Ojha said a slogan does not become a BJP slogan. "You can't make it a personal phrase. Words are not personal property. What matters is acting on them," she said.

Ojha said the Congress had coined a slogan concerning "aam aadmi" (common man) in 2004 and a party with the same name came about in 2012.

She said many of the party's ideas have been used by others.

The advertisement in many national dailies had a prominent photograph of Congress vice president along with people from various sections of the society and a slogan talking about party's endeavour to strive for progress of all citizens.

The advertisement was seen in political circles as a dig at Modi, whom the Congress leaders have accused of practising an individualistic style of politics.