"For Sale": Congress Leader Jabs Jyotiraditya Scindia With Air India Meme

Congress' youth wing chief Srinivas BV on Friday hit out at newly-appointed Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia with a meme that features the Air India mascot in tattered clothes, Mr Scindia with currency notes in his pocket and a speech bubble that reads "We are both for sale".

The meme has drawn sharp reactions from the BJP which said the post is a reflection of the Congress' frustration.

The meme was first shared from the social media account of the Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit but gained traction after it was shared by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief.

Srinivas shared the meme which showed Air India Mascot ''Maharaja'' telling Scindia, "Aiyye Maharaj, hum dono bikau hain (Come Maharaja, we are both for sale)", and added the caption, "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi..".

Last night, the Madhya Pradesh Congress shared the cartoon and wrote, "Bikau ko bechne ka kaam mila, Gaddari ka use kuch yu inaam mila (One who is up for sale has been given the job of selling, got a reward for being a traitor)."

Criticising Mr Srinivas for the post, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the Congress stooping to such levels to target a "young and enterprising" leader like Jyotiraditya Scindia shows its frustration.

"The message is very clear. The BJP is a party that taps talent, which knows how to recognise people of merit and substance. In Congress, the mantra is that if anybody has more potential than the so-called prince of the Congress then don't let him rise and keep him in the shadow of Rahul Gandhi," he told a TV channel.

Several social media posts criticised Jyotiraditya Scindia while others slammed the Congress party for targeting the Union Minister.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, a former leader of the Congress, jumped ship in March 2020 to join the BJP, setting in motion a series of events that peaked with the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh just 15 months after it was voted to power.