In the wake of India's big-ticket counter-terror operation Operation Sindoor, the Congress-ruled Karnataka government came under sharp attack for posting—and then promptly removing—a peace-themed post.
The Congress X (previously Twitter) handle had originally posted a citation from Mahatma Gandhi coupled with a poster claiming that "peace is humankind's strongest weapon." The post was, however, removed within an hour after it attracted ire from the public.
In a seeming direction change, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar made a new post paying tribute to the Indian Armed Forces on the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor. He also expressed solidarity with the Central government's position on national security. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah followed this up soon by posting a more elaborative message praising the gallantry and professionalism of the Indian armed forces.
There is no room for terrorism on Indian soil," Siddaramaiah claimed in his post, identifying the state government's position with the national mood.
In spite of these follow-up posts, social media users largely criticized the Congress party for its previous peace-related post. People questioned the timing of the post, stating that it was issued just hours after India conducted targeted attacks on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a response to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives.
The users reacted with screenshots of the removed post, criticizing the party for being inconsistent and unpatriotic. Some of the comments were: "Did you forget what you posted?", "Congress is grieving the death of terrorists," and "The Congress party has forgotten nationalism."
Others were sarcastic, responding with comments such as, "If Pakistan gets bombed, they believe the bombs fall on them," and "You are free to relocate to Pakistan." Others referred to historical controversies, mentioning how Congress once demanded evidence of surgical strikes and now wondered why the party issued a peace message "at a time of national assertion."
A few of the posts ridiculed the deletion, with one observer typing, "You post a peace message and then delete it after criticism – we appreciate the fear within you." Another taunt stated: "Now you're thanking the Armed Forces? It appears you desired peace instead."
The episode has caused controversy regarding political messaging at times of national security action and intensified scrutiny of the way political parties position themselves with public opinion at such times.
Read also| India’s water will now only flow in India’s favour, Says Narendra Modi
