'Counting fingers, not hearts': Shehzad Poonawalla mocks Rahul's Gen Z post

NEW DELHI: Former BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Sunday took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over his Friendship Day message for Gen Z, referring to the Korean finger heart emoji in the Congress MP's social media post as “counting fingers”, accusing the Gandhi family and the grand old party of corruption.Poonawalla, a former Congress spokesperson, resigned from the BJP in a surprise move on Friday. He has frequently targeted Rahul Gandhi since leaving the Congress.“No, no, no, don’t mistake it for the Korean heart gesture shared on Friendship Day,” Poonawalla said in a video posted on X, claiming that the gesture was “nothing new” for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.“Rahul Gandhi ji said, ‘Still a student, learning something new every day.’ But this is not a new gesture for him. This is not a Korean heart... this is counting fingers,” he remarked, placing a few currency notes between his fingers to mimic the Korean finger heart gesture.He continued: “Counting corruption every day. Taking corruption bribes every day. The Gandhi family has more than an apprenticeship in this — they have a PhD. Ask the Karnataka government... ‘counting fingers.’ Happy Friendship Day.”Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, in an apparent attempt to connect with Gen Z, posted a photo on Instagram and wrote: “Still a student, still learning something new every day. Today’s lesson: it’s Friendship Day and this 🫰 is a heart. Happy Friendship Day, everyone. Lots of love!”In the photo, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is seen wearing his trademark white shirt and making the popular Korean finger heart gesture.The Wayanad MP has increasingly used social media to engage with younger audiences in recent years.The outreach comes at a time when student and youth issues have gained renewed political attention, including after recent protests in Delhi that culminated in the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.