Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday dared Narendra Modi to arrest him as he shared a poster critical of the Prime Minister’s handling of the vaccination drive that has led to the arrest of around 25 people in Delhi over the past few days.

Rahul uploaded the poster that read, “Modiji hamare bachchon ki vaccine videsh kyon bhej diya (Modi, why did you send abroad vaccines meant for our children)?” and tweeted: “Arrest me too.”

Other than undermining the right to ask questions, the arrests have triggered outrage because poor people who had been paid paltry amounts to paste the posters had been arrested.

Several social media users underlined that by cracking down, the government had ironically ensured that lakhs of people across the world have now viewed the widely shared pictures of the posters, which would otherwise have caught the attention of a few hundred in Delhi’s neighbourhoods.

The Congress wondered who else could be questioned for the export of crores of doses of vaccines without ensuring adequate supplies within the country, and over other Covid-related concerns if the sole decision-making authority was the Prime Minister himself.

While Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made the poster her profile picture on Twitter, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh pasted similar posters on the walls of his residence.

Ramesh had tweeted earlier: “Putting up critical posters against the Prime Minister is now a crime? Is India run by the Modi Penal Code now? Is Delhi police so jobless in the middle of a raging pandemic?? I am putting up posters on my compound wall tomorrow. Come get me Delhi police, Amit Shah.”

The Delhi police report to the Union home ministry helmed by Shah.

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram tweeted: “Celebrate, India is a free country. There is freedom of speech. Except, when you ask a question of the honourable Prime Minister. That is why Delhi police arrested 24 persons for allegedly pasting a poster in Delhi.

“The poster asked a simple question of the PM: Why did you export the vaccines meant for our children? Even before the Prime Minister could answer, the loyal Delhi police answered with arrest. Celebrate, India is a free country!”

Lawyer and Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted: “Am shocked & stunned. May vehemently disagree but under what authority, what law, what power can you arrest those who put up posters — auto driver, printer, daily wager etc.

“This, like the Uttar Pradesh arrest of a person who complained on losing his father, smacks of a lawless state gone amuck!”

Veteran lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal tweeted: “Whither democracy: Has our government lost it! Arresting daily wagers, printer, auto driver for anti-Modi posters. That too in New Delhi. Why don’t you arrest those responsible for loss of lives because of the government’s mishandling of this pandemic?”

The Congress later held a media conference where spokesperson Pawan Khera flashed a placard that read: “I dare you, Mr Prime Minister! Arrest me.”

Criticising the police action, the Congress said the government was behaving as if Modi’s “fake image” was more important than the lives of millions of people.

Pointing to the national gloom with every family in grief and mourning, Khera said: “Lakhs of people are already dead. Most of these deaths could have been prevented as the real cause was not the pandemic but mismanagement and failure to provide oxygen and medical assistance. Even vaccines are not available.

“Decision-making is not only centralised but individualised. One person will take all the decisions. One person will place the order for vaccines. Because he has to become the vaccine guru. Now if there is a crisis, who answers questions if not the Prime Minister?”

Attributing to Modi personally the total control of Covid management, Khera said: “You negotiate with vaccine manufacturers. You delayed setting up of 162 on-site oxygen plants across 14 states. When things turn bad, you go silent, you disappear, you blame the states. You decide that Bengal will have elections in eight phases, you address super-spreader rallies. You said yes to the Kumbh Mela… then who will answer questions?”

Khera added: “In January, you were patting your back at the World Economic Forum. You were ridiculing all those people, experts, leaders of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi for warning you, for forewarning you that a tsunami was coming. You were making fun of them, you were asking where is the tsunami?

“When citizens were helping each other, young Congress leaders were arranging oxygen and medicines, your ministers were sitting with 300 officials to discuss how to refurbish your image. They were worried about perception management. Your fake image is more important than the lives of millions?”

The Congress spokesperson dripped sarcasm when he asked Modi to enact a law that would make it necessary for bodies “to hail the emperor” to be cremated or buried.

“Arthi tabhi uthegi jab badshah salamat ki wah-wah ho,” Khera said, defending the questions about the export of vaccines when Indians had not been adequately vaccinated.