BHOPAL: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was at the centre of an exchange between the BJP and Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Monday as both the parties accused each other of "stealing" the theme song of Imran Khan's party for their respective campaigns for upcoming assembly elections.
The ruling BJP claimed the Congress has "stolen" the theme song of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for its upcoming Jan Aakrosh Yatra campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. The Congress hit back, claiming the song of the Pakistani party was copied by Dushyant Chautala, the Deputy Chief Minister in Haryana's BJP government, and similarly in Rajasthan (for the poll campaign).
The row erupted after MP BJP unit secretary Rahul Kothari alleged the Congress has copied "Chalo, Chalo Imran Ke Sath", which he said is the theme song of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in its recently-released song "Chalo, Chalo Congress Ke Sang Chalo Chalo" for the Jan Aakrosh Yatra.
The Yatra is scheduled to set out from September 19 from seven places in Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections are due in November this year.
The state BJP shared the video of the purported theme song of the Pakistan-based party along with the Congress' poll campaign song on its official X account.
Till now, the Congress used to accept those who raised slogans in favour of Pakistan and against Hindustan. Now, Madhya Pradesh Congress is also borrowing songs from Pakistan, Kothari alleged.
He claimed Congress' Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh was missing from the poster of Jan Ashirwad Yatra, "but he is giving the background music". This is the height of appeasement. It won't be a big deal if Congress flag soon turns completely green, Kothari said.
"Congress' love for Pakistan came to the fore again. @INCMP stole the theme song of Imran Khan's party of Pakistan for its campaign song in the Madhya Pradesh elections. Congress's habit of 'stealing' is old but why so much love for Pakistan? Congress should answer," the BJP posted on X.
State Congress media department chairman KK Mishra said, "Unfortunately, those who are friends of Pakistan are raising objections over the campaign song of Congress. Those who got Army personnel martyred to take electoral advantage objected to a song."
Mishra said the BJP might have forgotten who went to Pakistan without invitation and who had invited the neighbouring country's prime minister for his oath ceremony.
MP Home Minister and senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra said the Congress has stolen the campaign song of its Jan Akrosh Yatra from Pakistan.
"The (erstwhile) Congress government had lost its credibility in the state because of the 'Chalo Chalo' (keep moving) jibe of Kamal Nath (MP Congress chief and ex-chief minister). The public is also going to tell 'Chalo-Chalo' to Congress in the assembly elections," he alleged.
On the other hand, Nath's media advisor Piyush Babele accused the BJP of stealing the Pakistani party's theme song during electioneering in Rajasthan and Haryana.
"The BJP's only mantra is stealing without shame (Ek to Chori, Upar Se Seena Jori). The song of Pakistan's Imran Khan has been copied by Dushyant Chautala, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana's BJP government. Film expert @drnarottammisra ji, listen to both the songs and tell from where do you get so much love for Pakistan," Babele posted on X account.
The Congress launched the "Chalo, Chalo..." song on September 17.
The Yatra is expected to cover 11,400 kilometres across all 230 assembly segments in Madhya Pradesh in 15 days to highlight various issues like "corruption, unemployment, and crime against Dalits and women", among others.
The BJP has already rolled out the Jan Ashirward Yatra' to "seek the blessings of the people".
The Yatars, being taken out from various places, will culminate in Bhopal on September 25.