"How Low Can Congress Get": BJP Slams "Missing" Post On Piyush Goyal

The temporary absence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal from public view has sparked another Congress versus BJP, with the Opposition party tagging him as "missing". The BJP has responded sharply. Goyal's party colleague Pradeep Bhandari, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, underscored that the minister is ailing.

The post included the video where Goyal, at a public event, said he recently had a surgery and was suffering from complications after he disregarded the doctor's orders. 

"I did the surgery last Sunday, then did not take precautions of the days of rest that he had said," Goyal said. 

"I have landed up with swelling and a little concerning situation as per the doctor, which could cause permanent damage. So he has asked me to not be moving around the whole place, therefore I could not," he is heard saying.

"How desprately (sic) low can Congress party under Rahul Gandhi get!" Bhandari said in the accompanying post.

"Union Minister Piyush Goyal Ji (@PiyushGoyal) had recently undergone a medical procedure. Instead of taking adequate rest, he continued working, which aggravated his condition," the post read. 

"On medical advice, he has now been put on strict rest. Yet, this health situation is being twisted to create a false narrative that he is somehow "missing"," Bhandari added.  

The Congress's "missing" declaration was posted by the senior party leader Pawan Khera. 

"MISSING PERSON ALERT The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs at 8:30 pm IST on 20 February. It's been over 65 hours. The government's entire response so far? "We are studying the matter." Meanwhile, @PiyushGoyal - usually known for his slick hairstyles and his theatrically spirited defence of the U.S. trade deal - has vanished without a trace. No midnight videos. No pressers. No sound bites. No dramatic rebuttals. Nation Wants To Know: Where is Piyush Goyal? Is he still able to speak? Or has he, like @HardeepSPuri, been advised against opening his mouth? If anyone spots him, take him straight to a microphone and whisper "Rahul Gandhi" or "Congress." It's the only command that can restore Piyush Goyal's speech - just as reliably as it does for Modi," his post read.

BJP sources said it is "such a low even by Congress standards".

"Everyone knows Piyush ji underwent a surgery and is recuperating. To attack someone during this period shows the depravity afflicting our public discourse," sources said. 

"As for Tariffs, the entire world is in a wait and watch mode and is studying the implications of the order. And US govt itself is taking new decisions," sources said.