The Congress has asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of Rahul Gandhi speaking on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, bringing into question the nearly decade-long hype over his robust leadership so strikingly advertised through the 56-inch bluster.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday: “26 hours after Rahul Gandhi was convicted by the sessions court in Surat, the notification of his disqualification as member of Parliament was issued. 26 hours have passed since the Supreme Court stayed his wholly unjustified conviction. Why hasn’t his position as MP been restored yet? Is the Prime Minister afraid of his participation in the no-confidence motion?”

By linking the restoration of Rahul’s status as MP to Modi’s fears, the Congress is striking at the greatest political asset of the BJP, which is the Prime Minister’s personal image. Ramesh’s taunt was in sync with the massive campaign unleashed by the Congress on social media about the trepidation in the ruling establishment because of the return of the leader whose questions have caused political tremors in the past. “Wo aa raha hai (he is coming),” the party dramatically announced, posting several videos portraying Rahul as a fearless warrior, along with piercing speeches in the Lok Sabha.

What gives credibility to such campaigns is the decision of the Speaker to expunge substantive portions of Rahul’s speech when he spoke last on the Adani-Modi relationship, just before his disqualification as MP. The government’s decision to avoid debates on issues such as China, farmers’ agitation and Manipur only deepened suspicions about the Prime Minister’s reluctance to confront critical questions, encouraging the Congress to mount pointed attacks on Modi’s courage.

Modi himself fed this propaganda about his strong leadership by boastful claims like 56-inch chest and “Yeh Modi hai, Modi” harangue. Many Congress leaders are now saying Modi would ensure Rahul doesn’t participate in the debate on the no-confidence motion and restore his membership only after August 10. One senior leader told The Telegraph that “Modi doesn’t know what is coming at him”, presuming that Rahul will revive the “Modani” discourse.

The Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury, who immediately met Speaker Om Birla after the Supreme Court stayed Rahul’s conviction, again called him in the night, seeking an appointment with him to submit the court document and a formal letter for reversing the disqualification. The Speaker told him to talk on Saturday. When Chowdhury called him on Saturday morning, Birla asked him to get in touch with the Lok Sabha secretary-general.

Chowdhury told the media on Saturday: “When I talked to the secretary-general, he said the office is closed today (because of Saturday). I told him there should be some arrangement to deal with important issues even on off days and he should at least make arrangements to receive the documents. The secretary-general asked me to submit the documents to the Speaker. I have sent the documents by post.”

Chowdhury added: “I don’t nurture any suspicion about the Speaker but my point is that Rahul Gandhi was disqualified in a lightning speed and the same urgency should be demonstrated while reinstating him. There is no stumbling block now after the court rescinded the cause of disqualification.”

Many BJP leaders and legal experts had said at the time of disqualification that the Speaker has no discretion and Rahul stood disqualified automatically after the verdict.

The BJP, however, hasn’t learnt any lessons from the Supreme Court snub. It persists with its vindictive attitude, as manifested through the tweet put out by the party’s IT cell chief, Amit Malviya: “Bakre ki Amma kab tak khair manayegi. Rahul Gandhi may have survived this one but for how long? On an earlier occasion, no less than the Supreme Court had pulled him up for attributing, wrongly to them, an observation, they had not made. Besides, there are several other criminal defamation cases pending against Rahul Gandhi, including the high profile case of mudslinging the venerable Veer Savarkar, filed by the freedom fighter’s family.”

Malviya added: “Rahul Gandhi is also an accused, along with his mother Sonia Gandhi, in the National Herald scam, and currently out on bail. Conviction in any of these can lead to his disqualification, again. Let’s not forget that veteran leaders like Lalu Prasad, J. Jayalalitha among others have faced disqualification, following convictions. Rahul Gandhi is on thin ice here. But for now the Parliament can do with some levity.”