india

Updated: Jun 22, 2019 00:05 IST

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday tweeted two photographs of the army’s elite dog unit and their handlers performing yoga, triggering a sharp response from senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers.

The text accompanying the photos said “New India”, sparking a controversy on the International Yoga Day, an initiative by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government talks of building a “New India”.

Modi, who addressed the newly elected parliamentarians of the National Democratic Alliance on May 25, said in that speech that the government will now begin “a new journey to build a new India with new energy”.

Criticising Gandhi, Union home minister Amit Shah retorted that the Congress party stood for negativity.

“…Today, their negativity was seen in their clear support to the medieval practice of Triple Talaq. Now, they mock Yoga Day and insult our forces (yet again!) Hoping the spirit of positivity will prevail. It can help overcome toughest challenges,” Shah tweeted, referring to the Congress’s opposition to the triple talaq bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Gandhi, who has insisted on resigning from the post of the Congress president after his party’s dismal show in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, did not respond to the jibes. “With due respect to you, @RahulGandhi Ji, these are proud members of the Indian Army and they contribute to the safety of our nation,” defence minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.