Friends, a few months back there was one toolkit controversy where foreign media used the toolkit designed by some Indians to malign Modi govt. That time BJP alleged that it was done with the backing of the Congress party and there was a big media war between the ruling and the opposition party.
The BJP spoke person alleging that Congress wanted to tarnish the image of PM Modi by labeling the new strain as the “Modi Strain”. Disgusting to say that Congress leaders wanting to use this opportunity to destroy the image of PM. The BJP had cited a purported toolkit and claimed that Congress was hand in glove with “foreign Journalists”.
To prove his claim BJP spokesperson submitted an excerpt from a copy of the internal circular of the Congress, which has been issued to their cadre. This circular states that
quote: 1. Amplify work of frontal Congress organizations- Indian Youth Congress and other frontal organizations can be shown as taking the lead in helping people. Contrast their work with apathy and inertia of govt as well as BJP’s organizations:
- Create a social media team to track every request for help and contact them on DMs or directly.
- Once contact is established, request them to send a social media post again, this time tagging Indian Youth Congress (IYC) social media and its leading office-bearers.
- Collaborate in advance with friendly journalists on social media to immediately amplify these messages.
- Liaise with local ground-level political leaders in cities to keep some beds and other facilities blocked in friendly hospitals, to be released only on our request.
- Respond to help only if the person tags the IYC handle.
- Calls to help from journalists, media professionals and other influencers must get priority.
- Contrast the work done by IYC with the lack of work done by the BJP organization.
2 Prime Minister Modi’s image: The approval rating of PM must have been high and have not dipped despite crisis and mismanagement. This is an opportunity to destroy his image and erode his popularity. Towards this end:
- Use resources created on social media to question Modi’s incompetence from handles that look like Modi or BJP supporters.
- International media coverage by foreign correspondents in India can be tailored to exclusively focus on Modi and his mismanagement. Liaise with foreign journalists snd Indian writers in foreign publications and brief them on talking points.
- Use of dramatic pictures of funeral and dead bodies, which is already being done by foreign media. Such journalists can be facilitated by our local cadre in various districts to get the right image and then their reporting may be magnified.
- The envelope can be pished to start using demeaning phrases for Modi in intellectual discourse by friendly intellectuals and opinion makers so that they have greater acceptability when used politically.
- Use the phrase Indian strain whenever talking of the new mutant. Social media volunteers may call it ‘Modi Strain’.
Unquote
Congress has claimed this is not their circular and termed this aFake News. Looking into events of last few months, this internal circular clears the air on the happenings like- Congress first created doubt on vaccine declaring that it is Modi Vaccine, then they highlighted the shortage of oxygen & hospital beds, construction of central vista, etc. Congress have left no opportunity to malign Modi on day to day basis on any trivial issue also. Even if Oxygen supply has not reached the particular state Modi is personally made responsible.
At the time of this great national calamity instead of backing the govt and giving some concrete suggestions as the main opposition party, Congress is playing such dirty political games. We should learn the lesson of nationality from Israel. In the recent war with Hamas, the leader of Israel’s opposition party was being interviewed by some Journalist from Al Jazeera channel, when that journalist asked the opposition leader you are at loggerhead with your PM and putting allegation of corruption on him then why you are supporting him during this crisis. You know what was that opposition leader’s reply “ First thing you have called me to discuss Hamas issue, still, I will give you reply, and his reply was ‘ He is PM of Israel and also my PM, whatever may be our differences, but in this hour of national crisis I stand behind my PM and fully back him on the war against Hamas.’
And here our opposition leaders are only meant for opposing the PM Modi, but he never replies to their charges knowing that tomorrow there will be a new charge and if he keeps on replying to their charges, he will be left with no time to do his job.
The opposition party never gives concrete suggestions. Even the opposition-ruled state is following the same practices of maligning PM. Their stand is for every adverse happening anywhere in the country Modi is responsible. Like in the oxygen crisis most of the opposition party state CMs started blaming knowing fully well that health is a state subject and it was their responsibility to arrange for oxygen beforehand before the situation became critical, but their stand was the only centre can arrange the oxygen.
I do not think this type of behaviour is going to stop, as polity has gone very low in our country, imagine if opposition parties start asking the govt to give proof of surgical strike, then at what level they will go, I can not imagine.
Waiting for your comments/views
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
19th May 2021