Nationalism debate heats up in Punjab; posters of Hafiz Saeed with PM Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi surface in Amritsar

A debate on nationalism is raging in the wake of 'anti-national sloganeering' on Jawaharlal Nehru University campus.

Amritsar: Amid the raging debate on nationalism in the wake of an incident which took place on Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, posters have surfaced at Amritsar in Punjab showing Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

According to The Indian Express, the BJP pasted a poster of Hafeez Saeed and Rahul Gandhi, accusing the Congress vice-president of speaking the language of Pakistan. In response to the BJP, the Congress came up with a poster showing the PM with Afzal Guru, Hafiz Saeed and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti, questioning Modi's ‘patriotic’ credentials.

The two parties later held a protest march against each other’s stand on 'anti-national' slogans at the JNU in New Delhi.

The daily quoted BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh as saying: “Rahul Gandhi has been exposed. We have been protesting his anti-national support to Afzal Guru and the latter’s supporters in JNU. We will make people aware of how it is hurting national interest.”

State Congress secretary Dinesh Bassi responded to the BJP: “The BJP started it. They installed a poster of Rahul Gandhi with Hafiz Saeed. We were forced to expose them. We have explained how Modi is seeking the support of PDP in J&K, a party which perceives Afzal Guru as a martyr. Supporting Afzal Guru is like doing a sentry job for Saeed. This is what PM is doing and we have exhibited same in poster.”