Succumbing to intense criticism from all quarters, the Gujarat unit of the Congress has withdrawn its advertisement on malnutrition that had used a flood affected Sri Lankan baby’s photo to ‘prove’ its allegations, the Pioneer reported.

Sources said that the controversial advertisement has been withdrawn from all the media like hoardings, internet, newspapers and other forms. Claiming that about 45 per cent children in Gujarat are malnourished, the Congress advertisement had shown a skinny child’s picture but it was soon revealed by internet savvy people that the baby was of Sri Lanka origin.

Unfazed by the resultant controversy, the Congress spokesmen had said that the photo was only symbolic but the idea was to highlight the issue of malnutrition in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, iBN Live said that the Congress party is again facing flak for using photographs of farmers of other states in its ad related to electricity connections to farmers. Under its campaign 'Join hands for change', the Congress had issued a series of advertisements published in websites and newspapers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has raised questions over use of photographs, which they said were from other countries and states. An advertisement showing a photo of a farmer, to highlight the issue of pending power connections to them in the state said "10 lakh farmers of the state are awaiting electricity connections." The ruling BJP has alleged that the photo used in the advertisement was that of a farmer from Rajasthan, a state ruled by Congress, party sources said.

The Congress has, however, maintained that the photos used are symbolic but the facts given in those advertisements cannot be disputed. "The photos used in these advertisements are symbolic. But the facts given on electricity connections, malnutrition, pasture land given to industry, malnutrition among women are real. Can BJP dispute those facts," state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia asked.

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