The Accidental Prime Minister: BJP defends tweet, Congress sees red

Congress has termed the movie as fake propaganda of the BJP.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are sparring over The Accidental Prime Minister, a day after the trailer of the movie released on Thursday. With the BJP tweeting the trailer of the movie from its official handle, the Congress is alleging a political motive behind the film.

"This is a BJP game, they know 5 years are about to complete and they have nothing to show to the people so they are using these tactics to divert attention," Congress MP PL Punia said on Friday. 

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also termed the movie as fake propaganda of the BJP. "Such fake propaganda by BJP won’t desist @INCIndia from questioning the Modi Govt on - Rural Distress, Rampant Unemployment, Demonetisation Disaster, Flawed GST, Failed Modinomics, All pervading Corruption," he tweeted with the hashtag #ChowkidaarHiChorHai.

Such fake propaganda by BJP won’t desist @INCIndia from questioning the Modi Govt on -

Rural Distress,
Rampant Unemployment,
Demonetisation Disaster,
Flawed GST,
Failed Modinomics,
All pervading Corruption!#ChowkidaarHiChorHai https://t.co/ytXL4Yk8Da — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 27, 2018

However defending the tweet, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore questioned the Congress's stance on freedom. "Can’t we extend our wishes for a film? Congress has been all for freedom, why is it questioning that freedom now," Rathore asked.

The BJP while tweeting the trailer of the movie wrote: "Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PM’s chair till the time heir was ready? Watch the official trailer of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, based on an insider’s account, releasing on 11 Jan!"

Riveting tale of how a family held the country to ransom for 10 long years. Was Dr Singh just a regent who was holding on to the PM’s chair till the time heir was ready? Watch the official trailer of #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, based on an insider’s account, releasing on 11 Jan! pic.twitter.com/ToliKa8xaH — BJP (@BJP4India) December 27, 2018

Meanwhile, Manmohan Singh chose to remain silent when asked about the trailer of the movie. Evading the questions over the movie, Singh stepped out of the car and went past the reporters.

Maharashtra Youth Congress had already raised objections to the Anupam Kher starrer movie asserting that if the film is released without prior screening for their office bearers, they will resort to "other options" to stop the screening of the film.

In a letter to the makers of the film, the party's Maharashtra youth wing has raised objections to the "incorrect presentation of the facts" and has demanded a special screening of the film to ensure that none of the scenes is factually incorrect.

"Looking at the trailer of the movie it is understood that the facts have been played with and presented in an incorrect manner with regards to Ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress Party to malign the image of Congress Party which is not acceptable to us," the statement read.

The statement also warned the makers of the film against releasing the movie without a prior screening and review by the party. "If the said movie is released without prior screening for our office bearers and without making necessary changes recommended by us, it will be understood that you are doing this deliberately and we have other options open to stop the screening of the same across India," the statement concluded.

The Accidental Prime Minister revolves around Singh's life as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. It is based on the book of the same name written by Singh's advisor Sanjaya Baru. The movie is slated to release on January 11, 2019.